isiii 



m 



li 

Mfiiyiii;;,:., 



mm 



mm 
I Si 



'§ 



m\ 



illl 

i i 



Wi: 







^'^^i 



mm 



mm- 




















0°\" 



0' 






<^, .^ 



5P ^ \V 



r> ^ 






o 



X'^ ^^^£0^: 












'% "- '%• .x^' J"V%g 







•^J*^ 






.0- 






■\^ 












--^^ 






V ;f: 




-^s' 



.^•^■.r 










<^ = 



X'^^ 



^ r^ 



,7 .. N V . 











'K 






/-_ "^ '-> M ^ .^^ 






V^ ^ ' " '' 



rri^^ : ^\- 



.^?^/ '^^ "-^. -yrm^ j>' '^ 






.o^^--X"" 



V'^ 



-\^ -^ .£ 













^^^^-^ 






s. .aV 










^^'^ 



\" ^ 







"^c^. ^'^<^^ .3 




o 0»^ 



^.' '- -^^ -^"^ . 



A PASTOR'S SKETCHES; 

Or, Conversations with Anxious laqufrers respecting 

THE WAY OF SALVATION. 

By 

Ichabod S. Spencer, D.D., 

Pastor of Second Presbyterian Ctiurch, Brooklyn, N. Y'. 
Also, Second Series, by the same Author. 



A NEW MEMOIR OF HANNAH MORE, 

OR, 

LIFE IN HALL AND COTTAGE. 

BY 

Mrs. Helen C. Knigiit. 



The Sovereigns of the Bible. 

BY 

Eliza R. Steele, 

Author of "Heroines of Sacred History," "Summer Journey to the West," etc., etc. 



SELECT POETRY, FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH ; 

JVith an Introduction by 
TRYON EDWARDS, D.D. 

This Volume challenf"^= a comparison with any other of its kind. 



A 

COMPLETE CONCORDANCE 

TO THE 

Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament i 

Or, a Dictionary and Alphabetical Index to the Bible. — To which is added 

A Concordance to tJie Books called Ajyocrypha. 

The most useful and only complete Work of the kind hitherto published.— By 

Alexander Criiden,M.A. 

A NEW AND IMPROVED EDITION. 



WINTER IN SPITZBERGEN. 

A BOOK FOR YOUTH. 
From the German of C. HILDEBRANDT, Preacher in Eilsdorf, near Helberstadt, by 

E. GOODRICH SMITH. 



RACHEL KELL. 

By the Author of "My Mother," "Scenes and Characters in College," &c. 

A moral tale of excellent influence, and most excitin<r interest. 



MATRIMONY; 

OR, 

Love Affairs in Our Village Twenty Years Ago. 

By Mrs. Caustic. 



THE OLD AND THE NEW; 

OR, 

The Changes of Thirty Years in the East. 
By WILLIAM GOODELL, 

For thirty years a resident of Constantinople, and other places in Turkey. 

With an Inroducttion by 

REV. WILLIAM ADAMS, D.D. 

FINELY ILLUSTRATED. 



THE 

FINLAND FAMILY; 

OR, 

FANCIES TAKEN FOR FACTS. 
A Tale of the Past for the Present. 

BY 

Mrs. Susan Peyton Cornwall. 

ILLUSTRATED. 



STORIES OF 

-A.3MOIE23XrT HO M E. 

Br 

F. W. RECORD. 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



A Sequel to the Female Jesuit; 

Containing her Previous History and Recent DiBcovery. 

By Mrs. S. Luke, 

Author of "The Female Jesuit; or, The Spy in the Family." 



THE SUMMER AND WINTER OF THE SOUL. 

BY 

The Rev. Erskine Neale, M.A. 

Author of " The Closing Scene," "The Life «f the Duke of Kent," etc. etc. etc. 



THE SOCIETY OP FRIENDS; 

A Domestic Narrative, illustrating the peculiar doctrines held by the disciples of 

George Fox.— By 

MRS. J. R. GREBE. 



The World's Laconics; or, The Best Thoughts of the Best Authors. 

BY EVERARD BERKELEY. 
In Prose and Poetry.— With an introduction by 

WILLIAM B. SPRAGUE,D.D. 

This work has not its e-qual, as a whole, in any other of the kind in the language. 



THE YOUNG LADY'S GUIDE 

To the narmoiiious Development of Character. 

By HARVEY NEWCOMB. 

Revised Edition. With an Address on Female Education. The best book of the kind 
in the market. 



OLD SIGHTS WITH NEW EYES. 



OLD SIGHTS 



WITH NEW EYES 



BY A YANKEE. 



WITH Al^ II^TR ODUCTION 
BY EGBERT BAIRD, D.D. 




K-EW YORK: 
M. W. DODD, PUBLISHER 

BBICK CH0EeS CHAPEL, OPPOSITE THE CITY HALL. 

1854. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by 
M . W. D O D D , 
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New Vork. 



0< 



R. Craighead, Printer, 
aZVesey Street. 



^ 



INTEODUCTION. 



This interesting volume is from the pen of a young K'ew England 
Clergyman, whose modesty constrains him to send it forth into the 
world without the author's name. Whether he has acted wisely or 
unwisely in so doing, is a question about which opinions may be 
divided. 

To those who desire to read well Avrit-ten and a5pro;griate notices of 
the places of chief interest in " Gld Europe," this volume may be recom- 
mended without reserve. The style is pure and beautiful, and the 
descriptions of places and things are exact, concise, and highly interest- 
ing. It is manifest that the wort is the j^roduction of a well cultivated 
and superior mind. It is altogether the most readable and instructive 
book of travels, embracing the same field, which the subscriber has 
seen for a long time. Isone but the most important places and objects 
are made to occupy the- attention of the reader; and these are 
always spoken of in the fewest words possible, so that the interest 
is well sustained from the beginning to the end of the volume. 

The discrimination with which the author treats of the various 
objects of art which he saw, displays no ordinar}"^ cxiltivation of judg- 
ment and taste. In this respect, the book before us reminds one of 
" Mathevjs^ Diary of an Invalid," a book of surpassing intei'est, even 
yet, on the best works of art to be seen in Italy. 



Vlll IJfTRODUCTION. 

Familiar as he is with every step of the tour which the author 
made, from the time he reached the old world until he quit it, the 
subscriber may claim some degree of competency to speak of the 
merits of this book. What opinion he entertains respecting it, the 
reader, after perusing the preceding paragraphs, can be at no loss to 
divine. And we hardly need say that we take great pleasure in being 
made the medium of introducing it to the reading public of this 
country. 

Most unhesitatingly and confidently can we recommend it to all 

those who desire to acquire clear and correct opinions in respect to the 

prominent objects of interest in the chief cities of the most civilized 

countries of the old world. Xone can read it without pleasure and 

profit. 

R. Baird. 

New York, November 5th, 1853. 



CONTENTS. 



Page 

CHAPTER I. 

Tlie Voyage 13 

CHAPTER ir. 

Liverpool 20 

CHAPTER in. 

Tlie Tower of London .... . . . . 26 

CHAPTER IV. 

The British Museum . . • 32 

CHAPTER V. 

"Westminster Abbey 40 

CHAPTER YI. 

St Paul's Cathedral ........ 49 

CHAPTER VIL 

A Ride through London 60 

CHAPTER Vin. 

London to Paris . . , . ' . . . . . '73 

CHAPTER IX. 

Paris 80 



X CONTENTS. 

Page 
caAPTKR X. 
Paris and Versailles 

CHAPTER XI. 

Paris to Lyons 99 

CHAPTER XII. 

Lyons 107 

CHAPTER Xin. 

Lyons to Avignon and Nismes 114 

CHAPTER XIV* 

Nisaies and Aries to Marseilles . * i * ~ , , * 122 

CHAPTER XV. 

Marseilles to Mce , .130 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Ifice to Genoa 137 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Genova la Superba I44 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Genoa to Leghorn, Pisa, Civita Vecchia, and Naples . . 150 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Naples 158 

CHAPTER XX. 

Naples to Borne — The Coliseum by Moonlight . . . .167 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Tlie Basilica of St. Peter's .172 

CHAPTER XXIL 

The Pope's Palace of the Vatican 183 

CHAPTER xxin. 
The Palaces of Rome I93 



CONTENTS. XI 

Page 

CHAPTEE XXIV, 

Basilicas and Churclies of Rome . . .! • • ,19*7 



CHAPTER XXV. 

The Pantheon . * , , 205 



OHAPTEE XXVI. 

The Roman Forum 212 



CHAPTER XXVn. 

Rome to Florence . . . , . • • • ,219 

' CHAPTER XXVin. 

Florence— Its Palaces, Galleries, and Churches . , , , 229 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Florence to Bologna . .....••• 245 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Bologna, Ferrara, and Padua, to Venice 252 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Venice . . • • • 262 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Verona and Milan , . , ^H 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Milan to Lake Conio, Lake Maggiore, and Domo D*Ossolo . 280 

CHAPTER XXXIV, 

Dorao D'Ossolo, the Simplon, the Tete Noire, to Chamouni , 286 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Chamouni— Montanvert — The Flegere 292 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Chamouni to Geneva, Lausanne, and Freyburg . . . .298 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Fre3'burg to Berne and Interlachen 304 



XU CONTENTS. 

Page 

CHAPTER XXXVni. 

Lauterbrunnen, the Wengern Alps, and Grindenwald to Mey- 

ringen. 310 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Meyringen, Pass of the Brunig, Lucerne to Basle . . . 318 

CHAPTER XL,, 

Basle to Strasbourg ..... ..... 324 

CHAPTER XLI. 

Strasbourg, the Rhine, Cologne by Ostend to London .. . 331 

CHAPTER XLIL. 

WindsDi', Cambridge, and Oxford . . . . . .337 

CHAPTER XLIir. 

Oxford to. Birmingham,, the " Lake Country," Stirling . . 345 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

Stirling and Edinburgh 353 

CHAPTER XLV. * * 

Britannia Bridge over Menai Straits 361 

CHAPTER XLVI. 

The Voyage Home 366 



OLD SIGHTS WITH NEW EYES. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE VOYAGE. 



A VOYAGE TO Europe ! What a grand idea ! It had long 
haunted my imagination like some bright vision of romance, 
which I hardly dared hope ever to see realized. The very word 
"voyage" had a bracing, inspiriting, salt-water air. It called 
up " spirits from the vasty deep " — old ocean's varied forms of 
beauty and sublimity, gallant ships proudly careering o'er the 
waves, crews of brave and generous-hearted tars, and all the 
exciting scenes of nautical adventure. 

And then Europe — the world's museum, crowded with the 
choicest productions of genius in every department of human 
eflfort, with her time-honored castles, her stupendous cathedrals, 
her magnificent palaces, her immense works of public utility, 
her unequalled collections of paintings, and statues, and 
antiquities, her venerable universities^ her vast libraries, her long 
line of illustrious artists, and historians, and poets, and philoso- 
phers, and orators, and statesmen, and heroes, where every spot 
of ground is hallowed by its association with the most celebrated 

2 



14 OLDSIGHTS 

A Voyage to Europe, 



events and names in history — it seemed impossible for one to 
breathe the air or tread the soil of such a classic land, without 
catching the inspiration of its greatness, and becoming himself 
a great man by inevitable consequence. 

Imagine then, my delight at the prospect of actually attaining 
this elevation, and becoming myself " a travelled man." Yes ! 
The good ship " Aberdeen, Hubbard, master," was up for 
Liverpool, to sail in five days, and it was for me to say, whether 
I would go in her. I hurried home to make the necessary 
preparations. How vivid is the recollection of those few days ! 
All surrounding objects seemed to share in my excitement of 
feeling, and to wear looks of unwonted significance. What 
changes might pass over them during my absence I How 
changed might I be before my return ! And what if I should 
never come back again ! The very books on my study shelves 
seemed to reproach me for leaving their quiet and dignified 
society, to become a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth. 

Once under way, I began to feel, for the first time, the loneli- 
ness of my situation. We were not far from the shore. The 
long lines of lighted streets were visible on both sides of us. 
Yet it seemed as if the ocean ah-eady rolled between me and 
my native land. I had set out for foreign shores, and return was 
impossible, until I had accomplished the end of my pilgrimage. 

The next morning the wind was in our favor, and the music 
of the Sabbath bells was borne to our ears fi-om off" the land. 
Ob, bow sweetly they sounded I as if calling us to stay and rest 
that day under the shadow of the sanctuary. But we heeded 
them not. Our pilot was aboard, and we immediately got 
under way. It was a beautiful morning, and the harbor was 
alive with vessels ; some, like us, outward bound, and others 
just arrived. Soon we met the United States mail steamer 



WITHNEWEYES. 15 

Sea Sickness— Reflections. 

" Hermann " from Southampton, with all her colors flying ; 
then the packet ships " Waterloo " and " Guy Mannering," and 
others, whose decks were crowded with emigrants just opening 
their eyes on the "New World." About noon we passed 
Sandy Hook, and discharged our pilot. The wind freshened 
up from the southward, and we began to make some headway. 

The next morning brought my first experience of sea-sick- 
ness. I succeeded in getting on deck and walking a little, but 
at breakfast-time my appetite suddenly disappeared, and I 
retreated precipitately to my state-room, where I turned in and 
lay the rest of the day. This was Monday. Tuesday, ditto — 
ate nothing but a few prunes and some arrow-root gruel. 
Wednesday, ditto — much sea, and a great deal of rolling. 
Managed a little soup for dinner ; fine headway. Thursday, 
not much better. Captain handed me the bulletin for the day 
— "Lat. 41 deg. 2 min. N. long. 58 deg. 25 min. W. — seven 
hundred miles from homeP The above is a specimen of the 
entries in my diary, day after day, without much variation, till 
I became very much reduced in strength and spirits. I find 
the following reflections written in ray note-book about that 
time : 

" It is worth something to learn, by going abroad, that God 
is everywhere ; and that we may carry with us a sense of his 
gracious presence wherever ^we may go. The Psalms which I 
committed to memory last winter are a source of great comfort 
to me now ; especially when confined to my berth and unable 
to read, I take great satisfaction in recalling them to mind and 
dwelling upon them. 

" It is hard to feel our continual dependence on God ; I 
mean not only to realize it, but to delight in it. To-day I am 
sick. I feel my dependence ; but I hope to feel better to- 



16 OLDSIGHTS 



Passengers— The Captain. 



morrow, and not so dependent. Just as if I was not as depend- 
ent at one time as at another.. So now I am at sea I feel my 
dependence ; but I hope to be on land in the course of a few 
weeks, and then be in a measure relieved from a sense of my 
dependence. While absent from my family I feel our joint 
dependence on God for life, and health, and all things : but what 
can I do for them when present ? How entirely dependent then 
as now ! Teach me, O Lord, ever to cherish a sense of my 
dependence, in health as in sickness, on land as on sea, at home 
as abroad, and even to rejoice in it." 

We had but four cabin passengers. One was an elderly 
man, an EngHshman, for many years past a resident at the 
Balize, Honduras, now on his way to make arrangements for 
the removal of his family to England — a pleasant, sociable man, 
who had graduated at the University of Cambridge, and made 
the tour of Europe in his youth. One was a Welshman, who 
came to this country thirty-one years ago, and settled in Oneida 
county, N. Y., now on a visit to his relatives in the " old 
country." The third was a jolly young Yorkshireman, who 
had lived awhile at Paris, Brazil, and then in Canada. 

I shall always feel under great obligations to our excellent 
captain for his kind attention to my health and comfort while 
under his care. Although evidently a thorough-going sailor, 
perfectly familiar with all the details of his profession, he has 
none of that roughness of exterior or manner which we com- 
monly associate with sea-captains, but was as agreeable and 
gentlemanly a man as you would wish to see. Our steward, 
too — 1 should be ungrateful were I to omit mention of his 
many admirable qualifications; — attentive, prompt, ready for 
anything, always looking on the bright side, even when the 
wind was dead ahead, and possessed of the happy art of adapt- 



WITHNEWEYES. 17 

The Crew. 

ing his replies to the varying humor of his questioners. I 
never could cease to admire the dexterity and grace with which 
he would convey dishes of all qualities, shapes, and dimensions, 
from the cook's quarters to the cabin, across the deck in perfect 
safety, even in the roughest weather. 

Our crew were a hard looking set ; many of them old men, 
hardly capable of duty, and all apparently enfeebled by hard 
labor, and exposure, and vicious courses. There was not one 
fresh looking countenance among them ; not one which bore 
any expression above that of a low sensuality, and not even 
that buoyancy of spirit which often animates brutes. The 
monotonous song with which they braced the yards or heaved 
the capstan, seemed to have no more life in it than the creak- 
ing of the ropes or the turning of the windlass; and the 
miserable condition of their clothing added to the wretched- 
ness of their appearance. No two were dressed alike. There 
was every conceivable variety of shape, and color, and texture 
in coats and pantaloons — the shortest possible roundabouts, 
and the longest possible overalls — old hats, caps, and huge 
sou'-westers— bo(i>ts, shoes, slippers, and bare feet. Falstaff's 
ragged regiment could not have been worse off. Most of 
them were drunk when shipped, — out of money and out of 
clothes. All their advance wages had gone to pay the score 
run up at their boarding places since their last voyage. Con- 
sequently, when we reached Liverpool, they were wholly at the 
mercy of those ravening wolves who prowl about the docks to 
entice new comers to their boarding-hells, where they keep 
them awhile on the credit of their next voyage, and then 
pocket their wages in advance, and turn them adrift in the 
same destitute, wretched condition. 

Many sea-faring men with whom I have conversed on this 



18 OLDSIGHTS 



Advance Wages— Cape Clear— Holyhead. 



subject, have expressed to me their conviction that much of 
this evil might be prevented, if the universal practice of 'pay- 
ing seamevDs wages in advance w^ere discontinued. If they did 
not receive their pay, or only a part of it, until after they had 
sailed, then they would have some money coming to them 
when they were sober enough to know its value, and to make 
a good use of it. A feeling of self-respect and independence 
would grow up in their minds, and when they arrived at the 
end of their voyage they would be better able to look out for 
themselves, and steer clear of the landsharks. I would fain 
appeal to ship owners, and agents, and all honest and benevo- 
lent persons, who are interested in the welfare of sailors. Is 
not such a change practicable ? 

The eighteenth day out we came in sight of land, passed 
Cape Clear, and were obliged to beat up the Channel in the 
face of an east wind. The next day, towards evening, we came 
near the Irish coast, saw Brown Stonehead with its two bea- 
cons, and could discern the verdure on shore ; then Waterford 
lighthouse, where was a pilot-boat lying off, from which three 
men came alongside of us in a small boat, to see if we had 
any provisions to give them. The next day we were becalmed, 
so that the tide drifted us down the Channel. Towards even- 
ing, however, the wind sprang up again, and the succeeding 
day we passed Holyhead, had a view of the Isle of Man, saw 
the Skerries, rocks that proved fatal to so many vessels before 
the erection of the present lighthouse ; and beyond the Isle of 
Anglesey, had a glimpse of the cloudy outline of Mount Snow- 
don, which our Welshman contemplated with delight. We 
soon made Point Linus, the usual station for pilots, about forty- 
five miles below Liverpool, and when I went on deck late in 
the afternoon, quite an exciting scene presented itself. Our 



WITHNEWEYES. 19 

The Pilot— Arrival. 

signal was set for a pilot, viz. the union jack at the fore ; in 
the distance was a pilot-boat with colors flying, responding to 
our call, her small boat making for us ; a steanci-tug alongside, 
anxious to escort us up the Mersey, for only sixteen guineas, 
which our captain refused to give. The pilot came aboard and 
dispensed the news to our hungry company. The next morn- 
ing a steamer took us in tow, we passed Rockfort, had a fine 
view of Liverpool on the left, and Birkenhead on the right, 
under a clear sky. The flag was up at Prince's Dock, to sig- 
nify that it was full of vessels ; but on our captain's landing, 
room was made for us ; we entered the basin and hauled into 
the dock just as the " Isaac Webb,'^ swarming with emigrants, 
was hauling out of the Waterloo Dock, opposite; having 
made a very good passage of twenty-two days. 



20 OLDSIGHTS 



The "Old Country." 



CHAPTER II. 



LIVERPOOL. 



" So here I am, at last, in the old country,^'' said I to myself, 
involuntarily, as I stepped ashore with something of the feel- 
ings of an exile retm-ning to the land of his fathers : for we 
do not feel like aliens in those countries which have always 
occupied a large place in our minds ; whose history has been 
the wonder and delight of our childhood ; the lives of whose 
great men have been the food of our youthful aspirations ; 
and to whose literature we are mainly indebted for the deve- 
lopment, growth, and culture of our mental faculties. They 
are not foreign from our thoughts and affections. We have 
often visited them in imagination ; and now that we are actu- 
ally there, we seem to have been there befoi'e. Memories of 
the past come forth to meet us, old associations take us by the 
hand and greet us in familiar tones, as if welcoming us back 
again to some former home. 

Especially is this true of England — in every sense our 
mother country — the prolific source of all our virtues and of 
all our glories. The germs of all our free institutions were 
found in her. They only needed a more genial soil and more 
auspicious skies, in order to attain their present luxuriance. 
Till within a comparatively recent period, our history is the 
same as that of England. We have an equal share in her 



WITHNEWEYES. 21 

Custom House— General Appearance of Liverpool. 

great names. Chaucer, Shakspeare, and Milton are our poets. 
Bacon, Locke, and Newton are our philosopliers. Coke, Hale, 
and Blackstone are our jurists. Chatham, Burke, and Erskine 
are our orators. No Englishman has any better title to these 
names than we have. 

Our baggage was placed in charge of a carman, who had 
obtained a permit to have it examined at the dock depot, whi- 
ther we followed him. The officer in attendance, a very civil, 
gentlemanly man, put me to very little trouble, not even open- 
ing my carpet-bag. My fellow-passengers were not so fortu- 
nate. One of them had two or three American reprints of 
English authors — Dickens's and Lever's works — which were 
condemned to the flames without leave of redemption. Ano- 
ther had a parcel of tobacco, a package of letters, and a num- 
ber of daguerreotypes from children in America to their parents 
in "Wales, which were seized with great indignation, and sub- 
jected the bearer to a vexatious and expensive detention before 
a magistrate. The best way to avoid trouble at the Custom- 
House, the only honest way indeed, is to have nothing contra- 
band in your possession, so that you can carry a clear con- 
science. Above all, keep clear of American reprints, private 
letters, and tobacco. 

The general appearance of Liverpool was more inviting than 
I had supposed. Its streets, though not so wide or regular as 
those of New York, are much cleaner and better paved. The 
buildings are not generally as lofty (except the warehouses, 
which are seven or eight stories), but more relieved by archi- 
tectural ornaments, heavy cornices, paneling, and pediments. 
Some of the new blocks in Broadway, e. g., that on the site of 
Grace Church, are more in the English style of commercial 
buildings. The streets are much more quiet than in New 

2* 



22 OLDSIGHTS 



Public Buildings. 



York, most of the heavy business being confined to the neigh- 
borhood of the docks. 

These docks are the greatest " lions" of Liverpool. They 
are constructed in the side of the bank of the river, and are 
on a most stupendous scale — wet, and dry, and graving docks, 
connected with wide and commodious quays and immense 
warehouses. The wet docks occupy a superficies of ninety 
acres, 3,384 yards, and the quays measure seven miles one 
hundred and fifty-six yards in length. Within a few years, 
extensive docks have also been constructed on the opposite side 
of the Mersey at Birkenhead. 

The principal public buildings are the Town-Hall, the 
Exchange, and the Custom-House. The Town-Hall is a hand- 
some Palladian building, surmounted by a dome, which is 
crowned by a statue of Britannia. It contains a number of 
portraits, a statue of Eoscoe by Chantrey, and on the landing 
of the staircase one of Canning by the same artist. The 
Exchange buildings form three sides of a square, in the centre 
of which is a group of statuary in memoiy of Nelson, exe- 
cuted by Westmacott in 1813. Victory is just about to crown 
the hero as Death, partially concealed by a shroud, stretches 
out his skeleton hand and touches his heart, while a sailor 
stands before him in an attitude of defence, and another kneels 
behind, lamenting his fate. On the sides of the base are bas- 
reliefs of Nelson's victories; and four colossal male figures,- 
in attitudes of humiliation and grief, are chained to the cor- 
ners. The new Custom-House, by far the finest building in 
Liverpool, both in magnitude and architectural dimensions, 
contains also the post-office, the excise-ofl[ice, the stamp-office, 
the dock-treasurer and secretary's office, the board-room, and 
offices of the dock committee. There is also a splendid build- 



WITHNEWEYES. 23 

The People— Signs. 

ing recently erected, though in an unfinished state, opposite 
the station-house of the London and North Western Railway- 
in Lime street, called St. George's Hall, to be devoted to the 
fine arts. It is in the Grecian style, and has an exquisitely 
wrought sculpture in bas-relief on the front pediment, repre- 
senting several figures. Commerce, Agriculture, the Fine Arts 
and Sciences, &c., bringing their tribute to Britannia. 

I was struck with the marked difference in the appearance 
of people I met in the streets from those I had been accus- 
tomed to see at home. The people here are heartier, fuller- 
faced, ruddier, carry their heads higher, and project their chests 
more, their lips are more parted, as if breathing more freely, 
and they are more leisurely in their gait. They have more of 
the vivacity and buoyancy of youth, their tones of voice are 
higher and more varied, and to use a common English expres- 
sion, they look much more ^'' jolly " than our New York mer- 
chants driving along Wall street, as if hurrying for dear life, 
with stooping shoulders, compressed lips, pale feces, and anx- 
ious looks. 

One notices the absence of the large-painted and gilded 
signs which line the sides of our streets — the prevailing mode 
here being wide plates of brass or white metal on the door- 
posts or window-sills, engraved with large letters, and kept 
bright by daily scrubbing. The drinking establishments are 
styled " vaults " — e. g, " ale, and porter, and wine, and spirit 
vaults." You see a great many little donkeys in the streets, 
some rode by children, and others harnessed in carts — pony 
carriages with lady-drivers — and huge draught horses, three 
and four tandem, whose load is limited by a special ordinance 
to sixteen barrels of flour a-piece. In case of a fire, you will 
pee the engines drawn by horses on the gallop, followed by a 



24 OLD SIGHTS 



St. James's Cemetery. 



string of carts with casks of water to feed the engines till the 
water is let on from the hydrants. The water which supplies 
the town is not flowing at all times, but is only let on at certain 
seasons to fill the cisterns attached to the houses. 

The markets in Liverpool are well worthy of a visit, parti- 
cularly St. John's, which covers nearly two acres of ground, 
and is all under one roof, supported by one hundred and six- 
teen pillars. The market in Great Charlotte street is cele- 
brated for its fine fish — salmon and turbot, and a singular- 
looking red fish called " gurnets^'' with a head shaped like the 
inverted stern of a ship. 

St. James's Cemetery is also quite a curiosity. It was 
formerly a quarry of red sandstone, but has now been con- 
verted into catacombs. It is situated in the midst of the town, 
surrounded by streets and blocks of houses, inclosed by an iron 
railing. Near the entrance is a beautiful marble chapel. You 
descend a path cut in stone, now leading through a tunnel in 
the rock, till you come out upon a level spot in the bottom of 
the ravine, which constitutes the cemetery, and is laid out in 
walks and flower-beds, and adorned with shrubbery and trees. 
The sides of the ravine are mantled with creepers and ivy, in 
some places smooth rock, in others hewn stone laid in arches 
and containing vaults. In the centre is a small circular stone 
building, containing a marble statue of Huskisson, the distin- 
guished Parliamentary patron of Railways, one of Liverpool's 
greatest benefactors. 

Several pleasant excursions may be made in the environs of 
Liverpool, by the omnibuses which run in all directions — Tox- 
teth Park, West Derby, Aigburth, and Wavertree (pronounced 
« Watery "). From the last place is a walk of a mile to Child- 
wail, where is " Child wall Hall^" belonging to the Marquis of 



WITHNEWEYES. 25 

Ancient Church at Childwall. 

Salisbury, and a very ancient cliurcli well worthy of a visit. 
It is built of red sandstone, in tbe old English style ; the en- 
trance is below the surface, and lined with monumental tablets 
of clergymen. The slips and seats are of oak, not painted or 
varnished, and very rude ; a great many recesses containing 
large square pews for noble families, with separate entrances, 
and lozenge-shaped escutcheons containing coats of arms hang- 
ing up over their respective pews. The view from the rear of 
the church is a fine specimen of English landscape — green 
fields, a small stream — the country sprinkled with country 
seats, villages, and spires, and a railway train passing in the 
distance. 



26 OLD SIGHTS 



Tower of London. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE TOWER OF LONDON. 



The Tower k one of the most interesting objects in London 
to visitors, on account of its numerous historical associations. 
It was built by William the Conqueror, about the year 1078, 
and strongly garrisoned with Normans, in order to intimidate 
his new subjects. From some coins found here, it is believed 
that the Romans also had a fort in the same spot. For five 
hundred years it was occupied as a palace, but since the time 
of Elizabeth it has been devoted to the purposes of a Royal 
Arsenal, a depository of the regalia of England, a garrison, 
and a prison. It is situated on the north bank of the Thames, 
at the northeast end of the city. You approach it by Thames 
street, which takes you through the celebrated Fish Market, 
which has given its name to the foulest and most abusive lan- 
guage, viz. Billingsgate. Close at hand is the Custom-House, 
an extensive pile of Portland stone, presenting a fine front to 
the river, three Ionic porticoes of six pillars each, the whola, 
488 feet in length, and 107 in width, with a broad and solid 
quay, which forms an agi-eeable promenade. 

North of the Tower, across the street, is Trinity House, the 
seat of the corporation of that name, selected from the com- 
manders in the navy and merchant service, including also some 
of the nobility, who have the navigation of the whole kingdom 



WITHNEWEYES. 27 

The Royal Mint— The Moat— Spur Gate— Middle Tower. 

under guardiansnip, appoint pilots, erect light-houses and sea- 
marks, publish charts, and attend to all business connected 
with the Thames. On Trinity Monday of every year a sermon 
is preached before them, which, for five years in succession, was 
assigned to the celebrated Henry Melvill, by his Grace the 
Duke of Wellington. 

The Royal Mint is opposite the northeast angle of the Tower, 
St. Katharine's Docks on the east, London Docks beyond, and 
still further down the West India and East India Docks. All 
these are objects of interest to a stranger, and, together with 
the Tower, may be visited in one day. 

The Tower is surrounded by a very wide and deep moat or 
ditch (measuring 3,156 feet), which is now drained and laid 
out in grass-plots and flower-beds, and adorned with shrub- 
bery. The space inclosed by the wall is an irregular four- 
sided figure, covering more than twelve acres, and is a town 
in itself, containing various streets and extensive ranges of 
buildings, besides a long line of barracks for the garrison. 

It is open to visitors daily from ten to four. You enter by 
the Spur Gate, call at the ticket-office on the right, where you 
obtain tickets of admission (6d. each for the Armory and Jewel- 
room), and proceed a few steps further to the ante-room to 
await the arrival of a warder, who takes a new party every half 
hour. 

Passing through a second gate in Middle Tower, and cross- 
ing the bridge over the moat, you enter a third gate in the 
massive walls, with By ward Tower on the right, and find your- 
self within the fortress at the head of a long paved street. Bell 
Tower occupies the angle of the wall on your left. Walking 
on a few steps, you see on your right St. Thomas's Tower, 
where was Traitor's Gate, through which so many illustri- 



28 OLDSIGHTS 



Wakefield Tower— Record Office— Ordnance Office— Bloody Tower. 

ous prisoners of state have been conducted from the river to 
their gloomy apartments in the Tower, and thence to the scaf- 
fold. Nearly opposite, on the left, is the Bloody Tower, in 
which the two young princes, Edward V. and his brother, were 
smothered by order of their uncle, Richard III., and buried at the 
foot of the stair-case. Near by is the Wakefield Tower, the place 
of confinement for the prisoners taken in the battle of Wake- 
field, one of the first of the bloody conflicts of the Two Roses. 
The Lollards or Wickliffites were also confined here. It has a 
fine octagonal room, in which it is said Henry VL was mur- 
dered. The range of buildings adjoining it, contains the 
Record office, where are kept all the rolls from King John to 
Richard III. (which you may have the privilege of searching 
for a year upon one subject, by paying 105. 6d.), and also the 
Ordnance office. 

Passing under the Bloody Tower you come out into a large 
open space, the heart of the fortress, containing " the Green " 
on your left, the " White Tower" before you on your right, be- 
yond that " the Parade," the Grand Storehouse, a fine building, 
350 feet in length, fronting "the Parade," but now in ruins 
(having been destroyed by fire in 1841), and in the northwest 
corner on your left, " the Church." Adjoining " the Green" is 
the governor's house, where the commissioners to inquire into 
the Gunpowder Plot met in a room since called the Council 
Chamber. " The Church," " St. Peter ad vincula,^^ was erected 
in the reign of Edward L, and is the depository of the head- 
less bodies of many distinguished persons who were executed 
either in the Tower or on the adjacent hill. Among them were 
Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and Sir Thomas More, Lord High 
Chancellor, who were beheaded by order of Henry VIH. for 
refusing to acknowledge his supremacy over the Church of 



WITHNEWEYES. 29 

The White Tower— Horse Ai-mory. 

England ; also bis ill-fated wives, Anne Boleyn and Catharine 
Howard. Near the Church is Beauchamp or Cobham Tower, 
noted as the prison of Lady Jane Grey. Back of the Grand 
Storehouse is Bowyer Tower, of which the basement floor alone 
remains, where it is said that the Duke of Clarence, being con- 
demned to die by his brother Edward IV., and allowed to 
choose the manner of his death, was drowned by his own de- 
sire in a butt of Malmsey wine. 

The " White Tower," or " Citadel," is a large square build- 
ing, of a kind of white stone (which gave it its name), with 
turrets at each corner, erected by Gandulph, Bishop of Roches- 
ter, in lOTO, It measures one hundred and sixteen by ninety- 
six feet, and is ninety-two feet in height. The walls are eleven 
feet thick. The north-east turret was used for astronomical 
purposes by the Astronomer Flamstead, previous to the erection 
of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. 

The first room is an apartment one hundred and fifty feet 
long, and thirty-five wide, called the Horse Armory, where you 
are carried back to the days of chivalry by a long line of mail- 
clad knights, sitting erect upon their steeds, " with visor down 
and lance in rest." They represent many of the Kings of 
England, and other distinguished personages, in suits of armor 
worn by them in life, and are arranged in chronological order, 
beginning with Edward I. in 12*72. Opposite is a row of figures 
representing the dress and arms of the esquires, yeomen, and 
retainers in corresponding periods. Behind them is a row of 
cannon and specimens of firearms of different periods, besides 
many other interesting curiositieS. 

From this room you pass up stairs into the chamber in the 
Tower, called Queen Elizabeth's Armory. This was the prison 
of Sir Walter Raleigh, where he wrote his " History of the 



80 OLD SIGHTS 



Prison— Curiosities— New Jewel OflSce. 



World." The walls are fourteen feet thick, consequently the 
window is in a deep recess. Over against it is a dungeon in 
the wall, perhaps eight feet by six, with no aperture for hght 
or air save the door, which is said to have been his bed-room. 

This room is also full of curiosities. Here are shown the 
helmet, belt, and sword of Tippoo Saib, the Indian prince, a 
representation of Queen Elizabeth in full dress, the heading 
block and axe that severed the heads of Anne Boleyn and the 
Earl of Essex, a wooden cannon used by Henry VHI. at the 
siege of Boulogne, some fine specimens of ancient armor, 
shields with a great number of figures most exquisitely em- 
bossed, thumb-screws, and other instruments of torture. At 
the entrance are two grotesque figures, called " Gin " and 
"Beer," of the time of Edward VI., which were originally 
placed in the great hall of the palace at Greenwich, over the 
doors leading to the buttery and larder. 

From the White Tower we proceeded to the " New Jewel 
Office," in the north-east corner of the inclosure. Here we 
were received by a grave and stately matron dressed in black, 
who solemnly divested us of our canes and umbrellas, and with 
an air of grandeur ushered us into the Jewel-room, where she 
entered upon a description of its contents in a tone of such 
profound reverence *as to be mostly inaudible. It is a small 
apartment, having a large glass case in the centre sun^ounded 
by an iron railing. The regalia consist of several crowns and 
sceptres of previous reigns, the emblems of royalty used at 
coronations, viz. — the golden orb, the golden sceptre and cross, 
the sceptre with the dove, tSe sword of mercy, golden spurs, 
the bracelets, the golden eagle and the golden spoon ; the state 
salt-cellar and St. Edward's staff ; a spendid gold wine-fountain 
for royal banquets, a silver baptismal font, and communion 



WITHNEWEYES. 81 

New Jewel Office. 

service for the royal family ; the whole surmounted by the new 
crown of Queen Victoria, which is a cap of purple velvet, 
bound with hoops of silver glittering with gems, having an 
immense ruby and amethyst in front, and a dazzling cross of 
diamonds upon the top. This crown alone is valued at five 
millions of dollars, and all the regalia at upwards of fifteen mil- 
lions. The regalia, as well as the whole fortress, is in the 
custody of the Constable of the Tower, who has several officers 
under him, and a detachment of the Guards for a garrison. The 
gates are opened and shut every night and every morning with 
great ceremony, a yeoman, porter, sergeant, and six men being 
employed to carry the keys. 



32 OLDSIGHTS 



The British Museum— Foundation, 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The British Museum, which is one of the wonders of the 
world, owes its foundation to the will of Sir Hans Sloane, a 
physician, who died in the year 1Y53. During a life of un- 
common activity, prolonged to the term of ninety-one years, 
he had accumulated an extensive library of books and manu- 
scripts, and the largest collection of objects of Natural History 
and works of art in his time. These, which had cost him 
$250,000, he directed should be offered to Parliament, after his 
death, for $100,000. The offer was accepted, and the same 
act also directed the purchase of the Harleian Library of manu- 
scripts, for which $50,000 was paid, and enacted that the Cot- 
tonian Library, which had been given to the Government for 
public use by Sir Robert Cotton, in 1662, should, together with 
these, form one general collection. Montague House in Great 
Russell street, one of the largest mansions in the metrQ,polis, 
was bought for this purpose at an expense of $100,000, the 
various collections removed into it, and opened to the public 
in 1*759, under the name of the British Museum. 

This building, however, soon proved inadequate. In 1801 
a large collection of Egyptian antiquities captured from the 
French by the British army at Alexandria, was added to the 
Museum. In 1805 the Townley marbles were purchased. In 



WITHNEWEYES. 33 

The Building. 

1823 George IV. made a donation of the valuable library col- 
lected by George III. The Elgin marbles were purchased for 
$175,000. Nearly $70,000 were paid for Dr. Burnet's rare 
classical library. Drawings were accordingly prepared for the 
erection of an entirely new museum on the same site, which 
has been in progress for the last twenty-five years, and is now 
mainly completed. 

It is still surrounded by the old brick wall, with a square 
turret at each corner, and a huge cupola over the gateway, 
completely obstructing the view till you have entered the spa- 
cious court-yard. The building is in the Grecian Ionic order, 
and occupies four sides of a quadrangle. The southern fagade 
which fronts the gateway consists of the great entrance portico, 
which is eight columns in width, and two intercolumniations 
in projection. On each side is an advancing wing, giving to 
the entire front an extent of three hundred and seventy feet, 
the whole of which is surrounded by a colonnade of fourteen 
columns, five feet in diameter and forty-five high. 

Ascending a flight of twelve stone steps, one hundred and 
twenty-five feet in width, we pass through the doorway, twenty- 
four feet in height, and stand in the entrance hall of most im- 
posing dimensions, sixty-two by fifty-one feet, and thirty high, 
with a magnificently trabeated ceiling ornamented in the Greek 
style. In the hall are three marble statues, one of Shakspeare, 
by Roubilliac, Sir Joseph Banks, by Chantrey, and Mrs. Damer, 
by Cerrachi, holding in her hand a small figure of the Genius 
of the Thames. We are now on the lower floor. Below is the 
ground floor, and above the upper floor. 

To make the regular circuit we turn to the left and ascend 
the principal staircase, the beautiful casing of the walls on each 
side, red Aberdeen granite highly polished, pass through the 



34 OLDSIGHTS 



Ethnographical Room— Zoological Collection. 



central saloon (which is over the entrance hall), and begin with 
the Ethnographical room at the right (to one facing the south). 
This room, which consists of several compartments, is filled 
with curiosities, illustrating the various characteristics, manners, 
customs, arts, religions, dress, and features of different nations ; 
shields, spears, poisoned arrows, scalps, war-horns of human 
jaws, dried bodies, canoes, snow-shoes, musical instruments, 
clothes, ornaments, cooking utensils, &c., &c., from China to 
Peru, and from Behring's Straits to the Cape of Good Hope. 
The great number and variety of objects of religious worship is 
very remarkable ; of every conceivable material and shape, the 
likeness of " things in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, 
and in the waters under the earth." I never saw so humiliating, 
so disgusting, so mortifying an exhibition of human depravity. 
It makes one ashamed of his species. 

Returning to the central saloon, we commence the tour of 
the Zoological collections, which are contained in three gal- 
leries or suites of rooms on the southern, eastern, and northern 
sides of the quadrangle. 

We begin with the hoofed quadrupeds. The central saloon 
has twenty wall cases with glass doors, in which are arranged 
specimens of antelopes, goats, and sheep. Over the cases, the 
horns of different species of oxen. On the floor, specimens of 
the giraffe. ^ 

The southern gallery (which occupies the eastern portion of 
the south front) has thirty wall cases, in which is a continua- 
tion of the hoofed quadrupeds, as the oxen, deer, camels, horses, 
the various kinds of swine, armadilloes, manises, and sloths. 
On the tops of the cases, horns of different kinds of elephants, 
rhinoceri, and hippopotami. 

Next is the Mammalia saloon, containing the handed and 



WITHNEWEYES. 85 

Birds— Reptiles— Minerals and Fossils. 

rapacious beasts. The handed beasts fill twenty cases, divided 
into the " old world monkeys," and the " new world monkeys." 
Such a variety of monkeys as I never dreamed of before, thougb 
I have often since; — green monkeys, moustache monkeys, 
white-throated monkeys, red-eared monkeys, white-nosed mon- 
keys, black-cheeked monkeys, white-collared monkeys of the 
" old world," and negro monkeys, howlers, night apes, Jew 
monkeys, ring-tailed and flying monkeys, of the " new." The 
rapacious beasts fill thirty-three cases, such as the various 
kinds of cats, dogs, bears, &c., the insectivorous beasts, such as 
moles, hedgehogs, and the marsupial or pouch-bearing ani- 
mals, such as kangaroos, opossums, etc. 

The eastern gallery contains the birds, in one hundred and 
sixty-six small cases, occupying a suite of three large rooms. 
A series of small table-cases along the sides of the rooms is 
devoted to the eggs of birds, and a series of large table-cases 
in the centre (forty-five in number) to the shells of molluscous 
animals. These rooms are also adorned with one hundred and 
sixteen portraits of kings and queens, and other distinguished 
characters. 

The northern gallery consists of five rooms, filled with the 
reptiles, such as lizards, snakes, and turtles, the batrachian ani- 
mals, such as toads, frogs, and efts, and the collection of fish. 
The table-cases contain sea-eggs, star-fish, corals, insects, crabs, 
and sponges. On the tops of the small cases are the fish which 
are too large to be inclosed in the cases. 

The north side of the north wing is appropriated to minerals 
and fossils. Among the minerals, I was struck with the gi-eat 
number of specimens of meteoric iron from all parts of the 
world, California gold, splendid crystallizations of sulphur from 
Sicily, magnificent sulphates of baryta and selenites from the 



36 OLD SIGHTS 



Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Antiquities. 



Hartz Mountains, and from Switzerland. Conspicuous among 
the fossils were the megatherium from South America, a gigan- 
tic tortoise from the hills of India, huge salamanders, iguanodons 
from Tilgate Forest, ichthyosauri, plesiosauri, and mastodons. 

The remainder of the upper floor is devoted to the smaller 
Egyptian antiquities, the great vases and bronzes, and the cabi- 
nets of coins and medals. 

The Egyptian room is an interminable accumulation of deities 
in bronze, gold, silver, porcelain, wood, and stone, sacred ani- 
mals, household furniture, such as chairs, tables, beds, articles 
of dress, and the toilet, vases, lamps, cups, spoons, instruments 
of writing and painting, sarcophagi, sepulchral tablets, amulets, 
coflSns, human mummies, and mummies of bulls, and rams, and 
cats, and dogs, and baboons, and snakes, and fishes. 

The Etruscan room contains a collection of vases discovered 
in Italy, and known by the name of Etruscan, Grseco-Italian, 
or painted vases. They are of exquisite beauty of form and 
workmanship, with figures upon them in bas-relief, far surpass- 
ing any works of modern art. 

The bronze room contains Egyptian, Greek, and Roman 
antiquities. Then there is the Medal room, containing ancient 
and modern coins and medals ; and the Print room, containing 
an extensive collection of prints and drawings. 

The ground floor of all the buildings on the west side is 
devoted to the more massive Egyptian antiquities, such as 
colossal statues, sphinxes, sarcophagi, parts of tombs, temples, 
and gates, and to the Greek and Roman marbles. Room 1 
has five compartments of Greek and Roman sculptures. The 
Nimroud room has eleven compartments of sculptures procured 
by Mr. Layard on the banks of the Tigris, principally slabs 
from the sides of apartments, representing battle scenes, sieges, 



WITHNEWEYES. 37 

Library— Autographs. 

triumplial processions, religious rites, and domestic employ- 
ments. In the centre is a fragment of a human-headed bull. 
The Lycian room contains remains of ancient cities in Lycia ; 
''he Grand Central Saloon, Greek and Roman sculptures ; the 
Phigalian Saloon, from Phigalia, in Arcadia ; the Elgin Saloon, 
the Greek marbles of Lord Elgin, from Athens and its vicinity. 
When it is borne in mind that every article throughout the 
whole is numbered and labelled, one is utterly lost in amaze- 
ment at the inconceivable amount of labor that must have been 
expended in merely arranging and classifying the stupendous 
collection. 

The lower floor is occupied principally with the library of 
manuscripts and printed books. The rooms are lighted from 
above, and warmed by hot-water tubes. The floors and book- 
cases are of polished oak. At one place you can look through 
a suite of rooms opening into each other, some with glass par- 
titions between, affording a vista of more than six hundred 
feet, lined with the choicest productions of literature. King 
George's Library is considered of very great value. It fills a 
large room, though only twenty-two thousand volumes, being 
nearly all folios ; while an adjoining room of about the same 
size contains six thousand. 

I cannot describe the interest with which I gazed upon the 
autographs (in books owned by the -writers) of William Shak- 
speare, John Milton, Voltaire, Isaac Newton ; a letter of Oliver 
Cromwell ; one of Charles L, just before his execution, to his 
son ; one of Richard IIL ; Edward VL ; one of Lady Jane 
Grey — the letter which brought her to the scaffold ; Lady Jane 
Grey's prayer-book; a manuscript book penned by Queen 
Elizabeth; one of her letters; Pope's original draft of his 
Iliad, on the backs of old letters, collected and bound together ; 

3 



88 OLD SIGHTS 



A Singular Coincidence. 



proof-sheets of one of Walter Scott's poems, corrected and 
altered by himself. I was also much interested in some books 
made of papyrus, narrow strips, looking like dried palm leaves, 
laid one upon another, and tied together ; a Cingalese book, 
consisting of slips of bright metal engraved and laid in a pile ; 
a book of birch bark ; some very ancient Hebrew manuscripts 
in the form of a double roll on two sticks ; the Caxton books, 
the first ever printed — at least in Great Britain — very distinct ; 
the first Psalter ever printed, a fine copy, valued at 16,000 
florins. 

A singular coincidence occurred while standing with a friend 
in one of the alcoves. He had just introduced me to Mr. 
Watts, an eminent linguist, who speaks twenty-five languages 
with facility, and mention was made of a letter which I had 
brought from the corporation of Yale College to Walter Savage 
Landor, Esq., thanking him for a manuscript copy of his late 
poem, entitled, " A proper Lesson for King Charles's Martyr- 
dom^^ The letter contained an allusion to the monument 
recently erected in " the Green " in New Haven to the memory 
of the regicide Dixwell. At that very moment, while the 
" regicide " was on our lips, an attendant handed Mr. Watts a 
slip of paper with the name of a book on it which some one 
had called for, but could not find. It was ^^ Lives of the 
Judges^'' a book which it was thought had never been called for 
before. I leave mathematicians to calculate the probabilities 
of such a coincidence. At the same time I had the pleasure 
of an introduction to the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Home, author 
of "An Introduction to the Study of the Scriptures," a very 
pleasant old gentleman, with a broad-brimmed hat, and a 
Quaker-looking garb, and an air of literary benignity which 
might well mark him as the genius of the library. 



WITHNEWEYES. 39 



Admission. 



No charge is made for admission to any part of the British 
Museum. It is open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, 
and Fridays, with the exception of the library, to which, how- 
ever, access can easily be obtained by previous application. 



40 OLD SIGHTS 

Westminster Abbey. 



CHAPTER V. 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 



This was originally an Abbey or Monastery. The principal 
buildings were the "Cloisters," containing the cells of the 
monks, and the " Minster," or church attached to the Monas- 
tery, called " West-minster," or " Minster of the West," from 
its situation west of the city of London. The first church on 
this site is said to have been built a.d. 616, to the honor of 
God and St. Peter, by King Sebert of the East Saxons. It is 
described by an ancient chronicler as in a " terrible place," on 
Thorney Island, " overgrown with thorns, and environed with 
water." It was rebuilt by Edward the Confessor in 1060, and 
endowed plenteously with relics. Henry III. enlarged it, and 
added a chapter to the Blessed Virgin. Henry VII. built the 
magnificent chapel known by his name in 1502. Henry VIII. 
stripped it of many of its ornaments, to convert them into 
money ; and in Cromwell's time it was occupied by the soh^iers 
of the Commonwealth, its chapels turned into barracks, and 
many of its images and ornaments defaced and mutilated. In 
William and Mary's time a large sum was expended in repairs, 
under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, who erected the 
two towers on the western front. During the present century, 
Henry the Seventh's chapel was repaired at an expense of 
1210,000. The work of restoration and repair is still carried on. 



WITHNEWEYES. 41 

The Minster— Dining Hall— The Pix. 

The Minster is in the form of a Latin cross, the foot of which 
is the western front. Adjoining the foot of the cross, on the 
southern side, is a range of buildings, formerly occupied by the 
Abbot. The first apartment is the " Jerusalem Chamber," to 
which Henry IV. was carried from the Confessor's shrine in 
the Abbey, in a fit of apoplexy, in order that the prediction 
concerning the place of his death might, in some sort, be 
verified. 

"It hath been prophesied to me many years, 
I should not die but in Jerusalem, 
Which vainly I supposed the Holy Land ; 
But bear me to that chamber, there I'U lie ; 
In that Jerusalem shall Harry die." 

Close at hand are the Dining Hall, Buttery, Pantry, and 
Kitchen, now used by the Westminster School, an institution 
founded by Queen Elizabeth in 1560. The Dining Hall is still 
heated in the ancient mode, at the dinner hour, by a fire of 
blazing faggots in a circular stone hearth in the centre. The 
smoke finds egress through the chimney in the roof. 

East of these buildings, under the right arm of the cross, are 
" the cloisters," on the four sides of a grassy area. On the 
pavement in the south cloister is the punning inscription over 
the ashes of one of the earliest Abbots, who died in 1085, 
Vitalis : — " A vita nomen qui traxit, morte vocante Abbas 
Vitalis transiit hie que jacet." 

Adjoining the east cloister, directly opposite to the end of 
the right arm of the cross, is an ancient building, now called 
the Chamber of the Pix, where is kept " the Pix^'' a box con- 
taining the standard of gold and silver coin, which is brought 
out but once in every reign. A little further east is the Chap- 



42 OLDSIGHTS 



The Poets' Corner— Monuments. 



ter House, an octagonal building originally of great magnifi- 
cence, where the Chapter of the Abbey held their sittings. 
By the consent of the Abbots in 1377, the Commons of Great 
Britain first held their Parliaments in this place. It is now 
filled with the public records, among which is the original 
Doomsday Book, over seven hundred years old, and in fine 
preservation. 

Let us now enter the Abbey by the little door in the east 
side of the south transept^ or arm of the cross, close by the 
Chapter House. We are in the " Poets' Corner." Look up on 
the wall at your left, just as you enter, and you will see the 
monumental tablet and medallion likeness of the great drama- 
tist Ben Jonson, with the inscription, " rare Ben Jonson ; " 
next Butler, author of "Hudibras," then Edmund Spenser, 
John Milton, Thomas Gray, Matthew Prior, Dryden, Cowley, 
Chaucer, Drayton, Shakspeare, Thomson, John Gay the satirist, 
whose epitaph ill accords with the genius of the place : 

"Life is a jest, and all things show it; 
I thought so once, and now I know it." 

Goldsmith, Addison, Handel, Dr. Barrow, Casaubon, Camden 
the antiquarian, Garrick, Dr. South, Sheridan, Dr. Johnson, 
&c., &c. 

Many of the monuments are in the sacella, or sepulchral 
chapels, which are separate rooms or recesses in the sides, or 
additions on the outside. On the south end of the south tran- 
sept is St. Blaize's chapel. Walking on from Poets' Corner 
north, the first at your right is St. Benedict's chapel. Near the 
entrance is the monument of Simon de Langham, Monk, Prior, 
and Abbot of Westminster, and afterwards Archbishop of Can- 



WITHNEWEYES. 43 

St. Edmund's, St. Nicholas's, and Henry VIL's Chapels. 

terbury and a Cardinal, who died in 1376. The effigy standing 
on an altar, robed and mitred, is exceedingly well sculptured. 

Next is St. Edmund's chapel, full of monuments of Earls, 
and Bishops, and titled ladies, some with the figures of the 
deceased erect, others kneeling, others reclining on their elbows, 
and others recumbent. One tomb is surmounted by kneeling 
figures of a knight and his two wives, and surrounded by 
kneeling figures of their four daughters, all sculptured in full 
dress of the Elizabethan style. 

Next is St. Nicholas's chapel, crowded with tombs of the 
most gorgeous magnificence, composed of alabaster, touchstone, 
porphyry, and variegated marbles, adorned with brass and 
gilding; Gothic canopies, supported by Corinthian pillars; 
pyramids, supported by kneeling figures, &c., &c. One of the 
most beautiful is that of Sir George Villiers and his wife, 
statues said to be good likenesses. One of the most gorgeous 
is that erected by Lord Burleigh, to his wife Mildred. 

We now come to the eastern extremity of the Abbey, which 
is occupied by Henry VIL's chapel, a magnificent building of 
itself, one hundred and fifteen feet in length, seventy-nine in 
breadth, with a ceiling sixty feet high, and consisting of a 
nave, two aisles, and five chapels. It was built as a burying- 
place for Henry VII. and his successors, and none but those 
of blood-royal are ever admitted. You ascend a broad flight 
of steps of black marble, pass through a dark vestibule, and 
emerge into the brilliant light of the chapel. The floor is of 
black and white marble ; the gates of brass most curiously 
wrought ; the stalls on the sides, of oak beautifully carved, 
studded with portcullises, falcons perched on fetter-locks, dra- 
gons, &c., covered with strange devices. The side-walls are in 
sunk panels with feathered mouldings, and abound in niches 



44 OLD SIGHTS 



Tomb of Henry VII— Knights of the Bath. 



with statues, angels, escutcheons, and the royal heraldic 
devices, Tudor roses and the fleur-de-lis under crowns. As 
you look up to the fretted roof, 

" Equally poised and scooped into ten thousand cells, 
Where light and shade reposes" — 

with its light and airy pendents, graceful and delicate as the 
foliage of the forests, blossoming with roses and knots of 
flowers, you can hardly believe what you are told, that it is 
all solid stone. 

In the centre is the tomb of Henry VII. and Elizabeth his 
queen, surrounded by a brass enclosure of open work in the 
richest Gothic style, itself a magnificent palace in miniature. 
Over the arched entrance is a projecting branch supporting a 
crown, a sign of the rank of the guests within. On the tomb 
are the eflSgy of Henry and his queen, with hands raised to 
heaven for mercy. 

The installation of the Knights of the Bath is performed in 
this chapel. The stalls are ranged on each side of the nave. 
Each stall has a brass plate, engraven with the arms of the 
knight, three seats lower down for his esquires, with brass 
plates for their arms, and above his sword, helmet, and banner. 
The sight of these banners, suspended from projecting 
lances, was truly affecting : vainly striving to keep up to the 
heraldic pomp and pride of noble lineage, their splendor faded, 
their lustre tarnished, their armorial bearings almost defaced, 
their very texture dissolving ; some hanging in tattered shreds, 
and a few entirely gone, naught but the lance remaining. 
Most of the crowned heads of Europe are here represented. 
The last installation was that of Louis Philippe in 1812. 



WITHNEWEYES. 45 

St. Paul's, St. John the Baptist's, and St. Erasmus's Chapels. 

Among the royal personages buried in this chapel are 
Edward VI., Mary Queen of Scots, Charles II., William III., 
Queen Mary, Queen Anne, James I., and George II. Some of 
these have no monument, nor even an inscription over the 
place of their burial. 

Leaving Henry Vll.'s chapel, and proceeding west, the next 
chapel on your right is St. Paul's, full of tombs in the " cinque- 
cento" (or " five orders") style, a mixture of all orders, obelisks, 
arches, scrolls, variegated marbles, gilding, and colors. Among 
the finest are Sir Thomas Bromley, Queen Elizabeth's Chan- 
cellor, Sir James Fullerton and lady of the time of Charles 
I., Sir John Pickering, Queen Elizabeth's Keeper of the Great 
Seal, and the altar tomb of Sir Giles Daubeny in the centre. 
Strangely incongruous with these relics of chivalry is the 
colossal statue of James Watt, the inventor of the steam- 
engine. 

The next chapel is St. John the Baptist, containing the 
monuments of Lord Hunsdon, of Queen Elizabeth's time. Col. 
Edward Popham, one of " the Parliament's generals at sea." 
In the centre the tomb of Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter, and 
with his eflSgy on the top, and his first wife lying on his right 
side. His second wife refused to be placed on his left, and so 
the place is vacant. All three, however, rest under the 
monument " cum firma spe resurrectionis." 

Next is the elegant little chapel of St. Erasmus, or Abbot 
Islip, adorned with niches and statues on pedestals and under 
canopies, most delicately and richly chiselled. In the ambula- 
tory close by is the tomb of Gen. Wolfe, having a bas-relief in 
the base, of the taking of Quebec. 

We now leave the side, cross the aisle, ascend a few 
steps and reach the floor of Edward the Confessor's chapel, 

3* 



46 OLDSIGHTS 



Edward the Confessor's Chapel— Coronation Chairs. 



regarded as the holiest spot in the Abbey. It stands just 
before the site of the High Altar, in the middle of the top of 
the cross. Here is the mosaic shrine of Edward the Confessor 
in the centre, on the sides the plain tomb of Edward I., next 
the mosaic tomb and canopy of Henry IH., Queen Eleanor, 
the chantry of Henry V., with its canopies and niches filled 
with statues of kings, bishops, abbots, and saints. Queen 
Philippa, Edward HI., Richard II. But an air of neglect and 
desolation pervades the place. Its recesses have been robbed 
of their jewelled images. The mosaic work of gold and colored 
glass has been picked out of the cement wherever it could be 
reached. The silver head of the effigy of Henry V. is gone, 
and naught remains but the oaken trunk once " covered with 
fine embroidery and gilded plates of brass." 

In this chapel are the ancient coronation chairs. One made 
by Edward I. to hold the famous Scotch stone (said to be 
Jacob's pillow, brought from the Holy Land), on which a long 
line of Scottish kings had been crowned, and which, together 
with the regalia, was brought from Scone, in Scotland, in 1297. 
In this chair all the English monarchs since that time have 
been crowned, Victoria the last. It is a rudely carved oaken 
chair, with a very hard seat, as I can testify from experience. 
The other chair was made for Mary, consort of William 
HI. Behind the coronation chair is a magnificent stone 
screen, which forms the west end of the chapel, with fourteen 
sculptures upon the frieze, illustrative of the life and visions of 
the Confessor. In front of the chapel is Abbot Wau's mosaic 
pavement, of curious workmanship, but greatly dilapidated. 

The north transept had formerly three chapels on its east 
side (viz. St. John the Evangelist, St. Michael, and St. Andrew), 
separated by carved screens of wood ; but the screens are now 



WITHNEWEYES. 47 

Monuments— The Choir— The Nare. 

entirely gone. Among the monuments here are Admiral 
Kempenfelt, Sir Humphrey Davy, a fine one of Sir Francis 
Vere, recumbent on a couch, a canopy overhead, resting on 
the shouldere of four half-kneeling knights; one of Lady 
Nightingale, by Roubilliac, representing Death issuing from 
the tomb, about to launch his dart at his beautiful victim, 
while she sinks back into the arms of her agonized husband, 
who vainly strives to ward off the blow. Also monuments of 
Canning, Lord Mansfield, Kemble, Oliarles James Fox, Warren 
Hastings, &c. 

At the head of the nave is " the choir,*' an inclosure for the 
perfoiTQaace of service, separated from the nave by an elegant 
stone screen in the Gothic styie. 

We have qow explored all but " the nave,'* the lower part 
of the stem of the cross. Among the monuments which line 
its sides may be mentioned Dr. Watts, Major Andre, Lord 
Howe, Congreve, William Pitt, Sir Godfrey Kneller, William 
Wilberforce, Sir Isaac Newton. Perhaps this description may 
serve to convey some idea of the multitude of objects in the 
Abbey to attract and engross the visitor. But it is impossible 
to describe the effect of the whole, as, at the end of your tour, 
you stand at the foot of the cross, cast your eyes along the 
Gothic arches which separate the nave from the aisles, sup- 
ported by pillars of grey marble, look up at the lofty roof, and 
then permit your eyes to roam over the wilderness of chapels 
and monun^ents ip the distance. What scenes have been wit- 
nessed by |:hese old grey walls that seem heavy with the dust 
pf ages ! Eight centuries ago they were gay with pictures and 
hangings pf tapestry, statues of " king and martyr, and sainted 
eremite," resplendent with gold and silver and precious stones. 
They looked down upon altars illumined with perpetual fires. 



48 OLD SIGHTS 



The Nave. 



censers smoking with fragrant perfumes, processions of Bene- 
dictine monks in their black vests, incense-bearers in their 
snow-white robes, officiating priests in their jewelled and gold- 
braided garments, crowds of kneeling worshippers, and the 
swelling voices of the choir chanting the " Kyrie Eleison," rose 
and fell upon the air continually. Hither have all the mon- 
archs of succeeding reigns come to receive their regal investi- 
ture, and hither have they been borne in state to moulder along 
with kindred dust. Here sleep the heroes, the statesmen, the 
philosophers, the philanthropists of England. I can well under- 
stand the sentiment of Lord Nelson, at the battle of the Nile : 
''^Victory, or Westminster Ahhey,^'' While there is much here 
to remind one of the folly and vanity of earthly pride and 
grandeur, there is more to remind one of those " longings 
after immortality" which stamp the seal of divinity upon our 
nature. 



WITHNEWEYES. 49 

St. Paul's— Historical Sketches— The Old Cathedral. 



CHAPTER VI. 

ST. Paul's cathedral. 

" Or let my path 



Lead to that younger pile, whose sky-like dome 
Hath typified by reach of daring art 
Infinity's embrace : whose guardian crest 
The silent Cross among the stars shall spread 
As now, when she hath also seen her breast 
Filled with mementoes, satiate with its part 
Of grateful England's overflowing dead." 

The history of St. Paul's goes back to the first introduction of 
Christianity into Britain. Eusebius names the Britons among 
those nations to whom the apostles themselves preached the 
gospel. Clemens Romanus says that Paul travelled " to the 
utmost bounds of the West." Hence some antiquarians have 
attributed to Paul the first publication of the gospel in Britain ;- 
others to James, the son of Zebedee ; to Simon Zelotes, to Aris- 
tobulus, to Peter, to Joseph of Arimathea, who, with twelve 
others, is reported to have been sent from Gaul to Britain, by 
St. Philip, A.D. 63. By maintaining the truth of this last story, 
the English clergy obtained the precedence of some others 
in several councils of the 15th century. Whatever we may 
think of these traditions, there is little doubt but that Christi- 
anity was introduced into Britain as early as the first or second 
century. The first church on the »ite of St, Paul's is supposed 



60 OLDSIGHTS 



'Paul's Cross "—Strange Uses. 



to have been built not far from that time ; to have been 
destroyed during the Dioclesian persecution ; and to have been 
rebuilt in the reign of Constantine. Again was it demolished 
by the pagan Saxons, and again restored in the seventh cen- 
tury (603 to 615) by Sebert, a prince under Ethelbert, the first 
Christian monarch of the Saxon race, who was converted by 
the labors of St. Augustine. This building was destroyed bj'- 
the great conflagration in 1086 ; after which, Mauritius, Bishop 
of London, commenced the magnificent edifice which imme- 
diately preceded the present cathedral, which was not, how- 
ever, entirely completed till 1315. It was one of the largest 
in the world, being six hundred and ninety feet in length, one 
hundred and thirty in breadth, and surmounted by a tower 
and spire five hundred and twenty feet in height, the upper 
half of which was constructed of timber. 

The famous " Paul's Cross," which stood before that cathe- 
dral, near a cross in the churchyard, was a pulpit of wood 
mounted on steps of stone, and covered with lead, from which 
the most eminent divines were appointed to preach in the open 
air every Sunday forenoon. It was also used for various other 
public announcements. The sermons preached in the cathedral 
are still called " Paul's cross sermons." 

During the sixteenth century St. Paul's had fallen into great 
neglect and ruin. It was injured by fire several times, and but 
imperfectly repaired. In the reign of Queen Mary it had 
become a common thoroughfare for foot passengers, carriers, 
and porters, with beasts of burden. In the reign of Elizabeth, 
one of the chapels was let for a glazier's workshop ; one of the 
vaults, previously used for burial, was converted into a wine- 
cellar ; the shrouds and cloister, under the convocation-house, 
let out to trunkmakers, " by whose daily knocking and noise 



WITHNEWEYES. 61 

"Paul's Walkers"— The New Cathedral— Sir Christopher Wren. 

the church was much disturbed." More than twenty houses 
had been built against the outer walls, and part of the founda- 
tion cut away to make offices. One house, partly formed of 
the church, was used as a play-house ; the owner of another 
had cut a way through a window into part of the steeple, 
which he used as a warehouse ; and another had excavated an 
oven in one of the buttresses, in which he baked his bread and 
pies. The interior was a common rendezvous for beggars, 
drunkards, and idlers of every description, who were .called 
"Paul's walkers." 

In the reign of Charles I. Archbishop Laud made great 
exertions to have it repaired. More than a hundred thousand 
pounds were collected, and the undertaking intrusted to the 
celebrated architect, Inigo Jones. The work was interrupted, 
however, by the civil wars, and had been prosecuted but a few 
years after the Restoration, when the great fire of 1666 reduced 
it to a mass of ruins. 

In the course of a few years a new cathedral was com- 
menced under the superintendence of Sir Christopher Wren. 
It was a difficult matter to pull down the remaining walls and 
tower of the old cathedral, without injury to the surrounding 
buildings ; and it is worthy of notice, that when all modern 
contrivances were found to be impracticable, the battering-ram 
of the ancients was thought of, and employed with perfect 
safety and success. The corner-stone was laid in 1675, and 
the top-stone in 1*7 10. The whole expense of the building 
was about seven and a half millions of dollars, raised princi- 
pally by a tax on coal. 

It was built of Portland stone, and stands on the highest 
ground in the city, in the midst of the churchyard, which is 
surrounded by the street, and inclosed with an iron balustrade. 



52 OLDSIGHa?S 



Plan— Architecture— Dome. 



Within this inclosure, facing Ludgate street, is a marble statue 
of Queen Anne. The ground plan is that of a Latin cross, 
with an additional arm or transept at the west end to give 
breadth to the principal front, and a semi-cireular projection at 
the east end for the altar. The west front (towards Ludgate 
street) consists of a grand portico of two stories, the lower 
twelve Corinthian columns, the upper eight composite, resting 
on an elevated base of black marble, ascended by twenty-two 
steps/ and supporting a triangular pediment, on which is sculp- 
tured in bas-rehef the history of St. Paul's conversion. On 
the apex is a statue of St. Paul, and at the sides St. James, St. 
Peter, and the four evangelists, all eleven feet high. Two ele- 
gant turrets rise, one on each side, to the height of two hun- 
dred and eighty-seven feet, terminating in a dome, ornamented 
with a gilt pine-apple. The south turret contains the clock, — 
the north the belfry. 

The north transept has a semi-circular portico of six Corin- 
thian columns, over which is an entablature, with a sculpture 
of the royal arms, supported by angels. The south front cor- 
responds with the north, except that upon the entablature is a 
phoenix rising from the flames, with the words '•'' Resurgam^ 
The east end, or apsis, is semi-circular, and ornamented with 
various sculptures. The exterior of the walls of the cathedral 
is ornamented with two rows of pilasters — the lower Corin- 
thian, and the upper composite. 

The dome rises from the centre of the cross, having a cir- 
cular basement for about twenty feet above the roof of the 
church ; above that a stone gallery and balustrade ; then a 
Corinthian colonnade formed by a circular range of thirty-two 
columns; above that the golden gallery (so called from its 
gilding) with a stone balustrade and a range of Corinthian 



WITHNEWEYES. 53 

Ball and Cross— Whispering Gallery. 

columns ; then the vault of the dome, on the top of which is 
another gallery; then the stone lantern of two stories each, 
with Corinthian columns, surmounted by a cone, on which 
rests the gilded ball and cross. The dimensions of the build- 
ing are five hundred feet in length, two hundred and eighty- 
five in breadth, and four hundred and four in height. The 
ball is six feet in diameter, the cross fifteen feet high, and their 
weight (copper with iron spindle and standards to strengthen 
it) about seven tons. 

Let us now enter by the door in the north transept (by pay- 
ing 2d.), and crossing to the opposite side, obtain tickets of 
admission to all parts of the building, by paying about one 
dollar. First let us examine the interior. The pavement con- 
sists of square slabs of black and white marble alternately. 
The central arena under the dome is an octagon, formed by 
eight massive piers (four of which are forty feet wide each), 
which support the dome. The pavement of this space is a 
circle of the exact circumference of the dome ; the dark slabs 
in it form a complete mariner's compass, exhibiting the thirty- 
two points, and also the half and quarter points. The nave is 
divided into three portions, a middle and two side aisles, by 
rows of massive pillars. The piers and arches which separate 
the nave from the side aisles are ornamented with columns and 
pilasters of the Corinthian and composite orders, adorned with 
shields, festoons, chaplets, cherubim, and other devices. The 
vault of the ceiling is made up of different-sized cupolas, cut 
off" semi-circular and united by segments. 

A circular staircase in the south-west pier leads to the whis- 
pering gallery, which encircles the inside of the dome at the 
extreme edge of the cornice. The guide sends you to the 
opposite side, and tells you to put your ear to the wall, and 



54 OLDSIGHTS 



Library— Clock— Bell— " Golden Gallery "—View of London. 

you hear distinctly his slightest whisper one hundred feet dis- 
tant. The shutting of the door produces a reverberation like 
thunder. Here you have a fine view of the church below and 
the dome above. The paintings by Sir James Thornhill, in 
eight compartments on the interior of the cupola, representing 
the principal events in the life of St. Paul, have been almost 
obliterated, as is supposed, by dampness admitted through the 
roof. The same staircase also leads to the galleries (in the gar- 
ret) over the north and south aisles, where is the library, with 
a valuable collection of books, and a beautiful floor composed 
of more than two thousand pieces of variously-colored oak in 
geometrical figures. Opposite is the model room, containing 
Wren's original wooden model of the cathedral, and some of 
the funeral decorations used at the interment of Lord Nelson. 

The guide then hands you over to an old woman, who shows 
you the clock, which is a fine piece of workmanship, and well 
worthy of inspection. The pendulum is fourteen feet long, 
and is loaded with a hundred pound weight. The diameter of 
the exterior dial is twenty feet, and the length of the minute 
hand eight feet. The bell, which strikes the hours, is ten feet 
in diameter, and weighs 11,4*74 pounds, and has been heard at 
the distance of twenty miles. It is never tolled except upon 
the death of any member of the royal family, the Lord Mayor, 
Bishop of London, or dean of the cathedral. Besides this, 
there are several smaller bells to strike the quarters, and for 
common use. 

Now mount up, up, up, till you come out upon the golden 
gallery on the outside of the dome. Look down upon the 
roof of the Cathedral. What a vast pile of building ! And 
then look away towards the south, and trace the course of the 
Thames, spanned by its noble bridges ; and on all sides, as far 



WITHNEWEYES. 55 

Copper Ball— The Crypt. 

as the eye can reach, a dense mass of buildings, chimney-tops, 
domes, spires, and columns, that seems to have usurped the 
face of the earth, and formed a new world, and brooding over 
it a dull canopy of smoke that seems determined also to usurp 
the face of heaven. This is London — that huge Leviathan, 
throbbing with the pulse of more than three millions of souls, 
stretching out its giant arms over the whole globe, and wield- 
ing a mightier influence over the destinies of mankind than 
ever did the Roman Empire in its palmiest days. 

Higher and higher yet, up slender and narrow staircases 
within the vault of the dome, and you reach the gallery at 
the foot of the lantern, and have another view of the metropo- 
lis. Still up, up, up, now by a ladder, then squeezing through ^ 
a narrow aperture, stepping on projecting slats, grasping a 
knotted rope, and finally giving a spring and dexterous twist to 
your body, you are seated, face inwards, in the copper ball on , 
the summit, capable of containing eight persons, so your guide 
says, but you think rather contracted accommodations for one. 
The hum of the city, coming up from below, reverberates within * 
the hollow sphere like the roar of a furnace, and while I was 
there a violent storm of rain and hail pelted the exterior sur- { 
face. It was a strange place to be in. !N'owhere have I ever 
felt so entirely secluded from the world as in that copper ball ^ 
on the top of St. Paul's. 

Let us now make a rapid descent from the top to the crypt 
or cellar beneath the Cathedral. It is a large, dry, and well- ^ 
lio-hted space, with massive arches, some of the pillars of which 
are forty feet square, on which rests the immense weight of the 
superstructure. It is the place of sepulture for such as are 
interred in the Cathedral. Here is the body of Sir Christopher 
Wren, the builder ; here the great painters Reynolds, West, Law- 



56 OLD SIGHTS 



Monuments— Military Glory. 



rence, Barry, and Opie, lie side by side. In the middle avenuj 
immediately under the centre of the dome, is the tomb of N"els©i 
a sarcophagus of black marble, surmounted with a cushion an| 
coronet, originally prepared by Cardinal Wolsey for his owJ 
entombment in the chapel of St. George, at Windsor, but no\ 
bearing on the pedestal the inscription, "Horatio Viscoun' 
Nelson." Close by is the tomb of Admiral Lord Colling wood 
his companion in arms. 

The monuments are in the church above. The first on( 
erected was to the memory of John Howard, the philanthro 
pist, by the sculptor Bacon. He is represented trampling upor 
chains and fetters, holding in his right hand a key, and in his 
left a scroll, on which is engraved, "Plan for the improvement 
of prisons and hospitals." On the pedestal is a bas-relief, repre- 
senting him visiting a prison, conveying food and clothing to 
its wretched inmates. 

One of the most conspicuous monuments is Lord Nelson's, 
executed by Flaxman. He stands, arrayed in the pelisse pre- 
sented him by the Sultan, leaning on an anchor, with a coil of 
rope at his feet. Beneath, on the right, stands Britannia with 
two young seamen, whom she points to the hero as their great 
example. The British lion on the other side guards the monu- 
ment. The figures on the pedestal represent the North Sea, 
the German Ocean, the Nile, and the Mediterranean ; and on 
the cornice are the words " Copenhagen," " Nile," " Trafal- 
gar." 

Here also are the monuments of Sir William Jones, Sir 
Joshua Reynolds, Dr. Johnson, Earl Howe, Lord Rodney, 
General Picton, and a host of naval and military heroes who 
^^fell gloriously " on the field of battle. Oh, what a glory ! 
The sight of these monuments, reeking with the blood-stained 



WITH NEW EYES. 57 
Bishop Heber— Musical Festival— Galleries and Stalls. 

ophies of war, made me sick at heart. I could not but think 
ow pernicious the influence of such models for imitation on 
'^outhful minds, kindling with the aspirations of ambition. 

In sweet contrast to these is the monument of the pious 
leber. Bishop of Calcutta, that illustrious standard-bearer of 
he cross, the work of Sir Francis Chantrey. He is represented 
neeling on a cushion with the Bible in his right hand, and 
mderneath are his own beautiful lines, commencing: 

" Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not deplore tbee, 
Though sorrow and darkness encompass thy tomb ; 
Thy Saviour has passed through the portal before thee, 
And the lamp of his love is thy guide through the gloom." 

I was so fortunate as to be present at the Annual Musical 
Celebration in the month of May, called the " Festival of the 
sons of the clergy," the avails of which are devoted to the 
fund for the relief of the widows and orphans of clergymen. 
It was held in the " choir," which occupies the eastern end of 
the cross, and is separated from the nave by a beautiful screen 
of wrought iron. Over this screen, supported by a double 
range of Corinthian columns of blue and white veined marble, 
is the organ gallery, adorned with carvings in oak. On each 
side of the " choir," within, is a range of fifteen stalls, with the 
Episcopal throne on the south, near the altar, richly decorated 
with carvings, and surmounted with a mitre. The usual seat 
of the Bishop is the central stall, distinguished by the ancient 
Episcopal emblem, a pelican feeding her young from her own 
breast. Opposite is the Lord Mayor's seat. The Dean's stall 
is under the organ gallery, richly ornamented with carvings of 
flowers and fruit. All the galleries and stalls are adorned with 
a profusion of carved work, flowers, and fruit, and cherubim 



58 OLD SIGHTS 



Entrance of the Lord Mayor— Full Choral Service. 



looking down on you from every direction. The reader' 
desk is in the centre, within a brass railing, and is entireb 
of brass, gilt, in the form of an eagle with expanded wings 
supported by a pillar. The pulpit is close by. Notwithstand 
ing the crowd, I succeeded in obtaining a good seat within th( 
choir. The stalls were soon occupied by the prebendaries ii 
their canonicals ; behind them the clergy in their gowns ; the 
long slips in front, filled with the choristers in white surplicej 
— the united choirs of her Majesty's Chapel Royal, St. Paul's 
Westminster Abbey, and St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The 
female voices were in the organ gallery. In front of the choris 
ters, on each side, were the orphan boys and girls supported 
by the Association. The side galleries and boxes were filled 
with spectators. 

A great rustling is heard, all heads are turned, and the Lord 
Mayor is seen entering the north aisle, arrayed in a scarlet robe, 
richly furred, with a broad hood, and golden collar and chain, 
preceded by the gorgeously dressed mace-bearer and sword- 
bearer, and his train supported by a page. He takes his seat, 
and the mace and sword are hung up over his head. Directly 
opposite sat the late Duke of Cambridge, in scarlet coat 

bedizened with stars and ribbons, and heavy epaulettes a 

grey-headed and whiskered old man, who kept bobbing his 
head about continually, making all the )responses with great 
emphasis, and beating time to the music. Further up sat the 
Bishop of London. Archdeacon Musgrave preached the ser- 
mon. 

The full choral service was performed, and with very fine 
efiect. It seemed a fitting tribute to pay to the Most High. 
The opposite choirs uniting in the swelling responses, and then 
answering each other in the glorious strains of the Psalms, 



WITHNEWEYES. 69 

Grand Effect. 

reminded me of the heavenly host " who rest not day and 
night, saying, Holy, holy, holy ! " and when, at the close, Han- 
del's magnificent Hallelujah chorus rose to the vaulted roof, like 
the voice of many waters, and echoing peals of thunder, 

"King of kings, and Lord of lords! Hallelujah! " 

my soul thrilled with exultation at this external homage to the 
Deity, and the time seemed not far distant when " one song 
shall employ all nations," 

" The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks 
Shout to each other, and the mountain tops 
From distant mountains catch the flying joy ; 
Till nation after nation taught the strain, 
Earth rolls the rapturous Hosanna round," 



60 OLDSIGHTS 



A Ride through London, 



CHAPTER VII. 



A RIDE THROUGH LONDON. 



Before leaving London, let me invite my reader to accom- 
pany me in a ride through some of its principal thoroughfares 
upon the outside of an omnibus, with occasional digressions on 
foot, while I point out various objects of interest in passing. 
We will first take our stand on London Bridge. A word or 
two about it. " Old London Bridge" was covered with houses, 
connected together by large arches of timber which crossed 
the street. Hans Holbein and John Bunyan once lived here. 
In 1212 it was the scene of a dreadful catastrophe. A great 
multitude had collected upon it to assist in extinguishing a fire 
which had broken out at the Southwark end. While they 
were engaged in this work, the fire communicated with the 
opposite extremity, and upwards of 3000 persons perished in 
the flames, or were drowned in the river. In 1756 all the 
houses were pulled down, and the bridge underwent a thorough 
repair. The " new bridge" was commenced in 1824 and opened 
in 1831. It is built of granite, the foundations resting on beech 
piles, and is nine hundred and twenty -eight feet in length, fifty- 
six in width, and consists of five elliptical arches. At each end 
there are two flights of stairs, one on each side, leading to the 
water. The pedestals at the top of each flight are single blocks 
of granite, each weighing twenty-five tons. 



WITHNEWEYES. 61 

London Monument— Statue of William IV.— Fishmongers' Hall. 

On the city side, facing the north, you have a good view of 
London Monument (on Fish street hill, at a little distance on 
your right), which was erected by order of Parliament in 1671, 
under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, to commemorate 
the great fire in 1666, which broke out in that vicinity. It is 
a fluted Doric column, fifteen feet in diameter, upon a pedestal 
forty feet square and twenty-eight high, in all two hundred and 
two feet in height, and has within a black marble staircase of 
three hundred and forty-five steps to the balcony upon the top, 
which is surmounted by a blazing urn of brass, gilt. The 
approach to the bridge is King William street, a wide, open 
space, in the middle of which is a colossal statue of William 
IV., of granite, with the pedestal forty feet high, and inclosed 
with an iron railing. Let us stand here a moment and survey 
the dense stream of foot-passengers, carriages, and omnibuses 
passing over the bridge. A wink to the ^bus wiaw-^(don't call 
him " driver,''^ unless you wish to insult him ; he's a notch or 
two above that, and fully aware of his superiority in rank ;) a 
long step up, a desperate pull at the leather strap hanging down 
for your grasp, and you are on the top alongside of "the 
whip." Notice the bouquet in his button-hole. " 'Tis a nice 
one," said one of them, in reply to a complimentary observa- 
tion on my part ; " it didn't cost me but two-pence, and it'll 
last me a week nearly. I take it out and put it into water 
every time I stop." Londoners have a great propensity for 
flowers. A merchant is not half dressed for his morning walk 
to his counting-room without his nosegay. 

That stately pile on your left close to the bridge is Fishmon- 
gers' Hall, the headquarters of the company of fishmongers. 
There are ninety-one of these city companies, comprising the 
chief trades and occupations, arranged in their order of prece- 

4 



62 OLDSIGHTS 



Boar's Head Tavern— " London Stone"— Queen Elizabeth, 

dency, beginning with " Mercers," and ending with " Water- 
men." 

Eiding now away from the bridge, at right angles with the 
course of the Thames, we pass one corner and come to East- 
cheap at the next. Great Eastcheap is that part of the street 
on our left. You can see there a house with a stone figure 
of a boar's head, which occupies the site of the Boar's Head 
Tavern, alluded to by Shakspeare in Henry IV. as the resi- 
dence of Mrs. Quickly, and the scene of Sir John Falstaff's 
merriment. In Cannon street, which is a continuation of Great 
Eastcheap westerly, is St. Swithin's Church, which has in its 
south wall " London Stone," one of the greatest antiquities of 
the metropolis, having been known before the time of William 
I. It was against this stone that Jack Cade struck his sword 
and exclaimed, " Now is Mortimer Lord of London." 

Continuing the same direction, we enter Grace Church 
street (for in London the name of the street changes almost 
every block), and the next corner on the right is Fenchurch 
street. There you will find the Hudson Bay Company's 
House, and at 'No. 53 King's Head Tavern, which was 
visited by the Princess (afterwards Queen) Elizabeth, on her 
liberation from the Tower. The dish in which her dinner (pork 
and pease) was served up is still preserved in the coffee-room, 
together with her portrait. The street a| right angles on your 
left is Lombard street, once the residence of the Lombards, the 
money-lenders of former times, now chiefly occupied by bank- 
ers. No. 43 was the residence of Jane Shore. In this street 
Pope, the poet, was born. 

Turning the next corner to the left and going west, we enter 
Cornhill, full of insurance oflSces. The poet Gray was born 
in this street. Defoe, the author of " Robinson Crusoe," lived 



WITH NEW EYES. 63 



Royal Exchange— Bank 8f England—" Golden Lectures." 

here and kept a hosier's shop. We now come out into the 
open space before the Royal Exchange, a noble building with 
a Grecian front of Corinthian columns, and a beautiful sculp- 
ture upon the tympanum, representing Commerce, with various 
groups of British, Asiatic, Chinese, Afi-ican, &c. In the centre 
of the building is an open court, surrounded by a colonnade, 
which is the Merchants' 'Change. Lloyd's Coffee House, 
the headquarters of maritime intelligence, is in the east end. 
In the open space in front of the building is an equestrian 
statue of the Duke of Wellington, in bronze, by Chantrey, 
fourteen feet high, upon a pedestal of Scotch granite of the 
same height. 

North of this open space is the Bank of England, a vast 
pile of granite, covering an area of three hundred and sixty- 
five feet in front on Threadneedle street, four hundred and forty 
feet in the west side on Princess street, four hundred and ten 
feet on the north on Lothbury, and two hundred and forty-five 
on the east on St. Bartholomew's lane. It is low in proportion 
to its extent, being not more than a story and a half in height, 
and having the principal suite of rooms on the ground floor. 
There are more rooms below than above ground. The exterior 
presents a great number of Corinthian columns and pilasters, 
mouldings, and architectural ornaments, but has a guarded, 
prison-like appearance, as it is almost wholly destitute of win- 
dows opening upon the street, most of the apartments being 
lighted from above, or from the open courts within. At St. 
Margaret's Church, Lothbury, near by, you may hear the elo- 
quent Melvill preach one of the " Golden Lectures " every 
Tuesday, at 11 a.m. 

Proceeding west in a course about parallel with the Thames, 
we leave Cornhill, and enter " the Poultry." Looking over 



64 O L D S I G H T S 



Cheapside— Guildhall. 



your left shoulder you have a view of the Mansion House, the 
official residence of the Lord Mayor. Wallbrook street, which 
enters here, was once a stream which served as a fosse to guard 
the eastern extremity of the city. 

Riding on we enter Cheapside, and the throng becomes 
more and more dense every moment, yet all moving on with 
as much peace and decorum as a funeral procession. Inter- 
spersed among the crowd, at frequent intervals, you see a num- 
ber of persons in blue uniforms, with canes in their hands, 
walking leisurely along, or standing at the corners, taking a 
general survey of the scenes around them. If a vehicle stops 
a moment longer than is absolutely necessary to take in or dis- 
charge its load, the quick eye of the policeman is upon the 
driver, and he is ordered to " move onr If a group is collected 
upon the sidewalk around a shop-window, engrossed with con- 
versation, or arrested by some accident, the hand of the police- 
man is felt upon the shoulder, and you hear the words '■'•move 
on" — " move on." 

As you pass King street on your right, you can see Guild- 
hall at the end of it, facing you, with a fine Gothic front. 
This is the seat of the chief public offices of the city of Lon- 
don. We are now in the heart of the city proper ; for Lon- 
don comprises the city of London, the eastern portion on the 
north side of the Thames, the borough of Southwark on the 
other side, and the city of Westminster at the west end, toge- 
ther with a multitude of circumjacent parishes. Guildhall has 
a noble hall, capable of containing 7000 persons, adorned with 
several monuments and statues, which is used for the city 
feasts at the inauguration of the Lord Mayor, visits of royalty, 
and other illustrious occasions, and also for the city elections, 
and public meetings. Under the window at the west end are 



W I T H N E W E Y E S . 65 



St. Mary le Bow— Paternoster Row— General Post Office— Christ's Hospital. 

the colossal figures called Gog and Magog, said to represent a 
Saxon and an ancient Briton. The opposite street on your 
left, Queen street, will take you across Southwark Bridge. 

That fine steeple of stone on your left, over two hundred 
feet high, with a vane in the shape of a dragon, and a clock- 
face projecting out over the street, is St. Mary le Bow. Here 
the bishops of London are consecrated, and the " Boyle Lec- 
tures" delivered. The next corner on your left is Bread street, 
where Milton was born. Milk street (opposite) was the birth- 
place of Lord Chancellor More. Blackstone was born in 
Cheapside. 

At the end of Cheapside, St. Paul's comes up on the left ; 
but instead of taking the omnibus route which passes it, or 
going straight on through Paternoster Row, so called from 
the manufacturers of beads and other Romish emblems of 
devotion, now noted as the residence of booksellers, let us now 
turn to our right into St. Martin's le Grand, and take a view 
of the General Post Office. It is a fine building of Port- 
land stone, of the Grecian Ionic order, presenting a front of 
four hundred feet, with a central portico of six columns, and a 
portico of four columns at the extremity of each wing. Early 
in the morning you will see a string of vehicles, of all sizes, 
from one-horse boxes to four-horse omnibuses, all bright red, 
with red-liveried riders, the letter-carriers, and the potential 
initials, " V. R.," surmounted by a crown, displayed on every 
side, issuing at full speed from the spacious yard on the north, 
and scattering in all directions. 

Continuing on in a westerly direction up T^ewgate-street, we 
pass Christ's Hospital on our right, a magnificent pile of 
buildings in the Gothic and Tudor style, the seat of the famous 
^^ Blue-coat school,^'' established by Edward VI., where from 



6Q OLD SIGHTS 



"Blue Coat School "—Bartholomew's Hospital— Smithfield. 

1000 to 1200 boys and girls are supported in a course of edu- 
cation, at an annual expenditure of from 1150,000 to $200,000. 
The dress of the boys consists of a dark-blue coat or gown 
fitted close to the body, but with loose open skirts, a girdle 
round the waist, an under coat, a petticoat of yellow flannel in 
cold weather, yellow worsted stockings and shoes, and a neck 
band. You may sometimes see them in their play -ground, ' 
which adjoins the street, in full chase after the foot-ball, with 
then- troublesome skirts pinned back, or holding them up with 
their hands. They wear no hat or cap in any weather. ' Wher- 
ever you meet them, in the streets of London, on the railways, 
or in the country on a visit to their friends, you always see 
them in this singular costume, and bare-headed. Charles 
Lamb and Coleridge were " Blue-coat boys." 

The next corner at your right is Giltspur-street. A few 
steps will bring you to Bartholomew's Hospital (on the right 
side), which dates back to 1102 in connection with the Priory 
of Smithfield, but was incorporated by Henry VIH. in the last 
year of his reign. It is a benevolent Institution for the recep- 
tion of patients, supported by its estates, which yield an annual 
income of more than $150,000. The open space west of it is 
West-Smithfield, the largest cattle-market in England, and the 
seat of Bartholomew Fair, which is held in September of every 
year. It has been the scene of tournaments, theatrical per- 
formances, bloody conflicts, and martyrdoms. Here Wat Tyler 
was killed with a dagger by Lord Mayor Walworth. Here 
were burnt at the stake the noble Anne Askew, Rogers, of 
" New England Primer " memory, Bradford, Philpot, and a 
host of other worthies, under the bloodthirsty Bonner, mainly 
for denying the corporal presence of Christ in ihe sacrament. 
The lamp-post in the centre of the pens marks the spot. Close 



W I T H N E W E Y E S . 67 

Cock-Lane— Temple-Bar— Inner and Middle Temple. 

by is Cock-lane, famous for its gliost-stoiy, which created such 
a sensation iu London in the year 1762, and furnished Churchill 
with a subject for a satirical poem. 

Retracing our steps we cross Newgate-street, and proceeding 
south enter " the Old Bailey." On our left the massive granite 
walls of Newgate Prison frown gloomily upon us. Near by 
is Green-arbor Court, in a house of which Goldsmith wrote 
his " Vicar of Wakefield," under duress of his landlady, from 
which he was released by the benevolent interposition of Dr. 
Johnson, Turning the next corner at our right, we enter Lud- 
gate Hill and resume a w^esterly course, passing at the next 
corner on our right Farringdon-street, within a few steps of 
Fleet Prison and Bridge-street opposite, which leads to Black- 
friars Bridge, and now we are in Fleet-street. The poet Cow- 
ley was born in this street. Dr. Johnson lived in Bolt Court, 
which opens into it. At the corner of Chancery-lane "was 
IzAAc Walton's house. No. IV was the residence of Prince 
Charles Stewart, son of James I. Temple-Bar, a stone arch 
which crosses the street, supporting a story above it, adorned 
with niches and statues, is the only remaining gate of the an- 
cient city boundaries. Till within one hundred years, the 
heads of those executed for rebellion or high treason were 
fixed on iron spikes upon the top of it. Just before you reach 
it, on your left is the entrance to the Inner and Middle Tem- 
ple, the residence of benchers, barristers, and students at law, 
with spacious courts and beautiful gardens and walks upon the 
banks of the Thames. Here Lamb was born and brought up. 
Here Cowper once lived. Chancery-lane on the right will 
take you to Lincoln's Inn, a similar institution, with a fine 
library and an extensive square and garden. 

Riding under Temple-Bar, we enter the Strand, and pass 



68 OLD SIGHTS 



Somerset House— Exeter Hall— Charing Cross— Trafalgar Square. 

the Somerset House on our left, a magnificent building occu- 
pying a space eight hundred feet in width, and five hundred in 
depth, with a spacious court in the centre, and a beautiful 
front on the Thames. The present building is used chiefly for 
public offices. Old Somerset House was built by the protector 
Somerset, and was at diflferent times the residence of Queen 
Elizabeth, Anne of Denmark, and Catherine, Queen of Charles 
H. Wellington-street, on its west side, leads to Waterloo 
Bridge. On the opposite side of the Strand is Exeter Hall, 
a large room for public meetings. Farther on is Hungerford 
Market, on the river side, and near by Hungerford Wire Sus- 
pension Bridge. There is a bend in the Thames here, which 
comes down from the south, and higher up is spanned by 
Westminster, and beyond that by Vauxhall Bridge. The 
Strand terminates at Charing Cross, so called from one of 
the crosses which Edward I. erected here to the memory of his 
Queen Eleanor, and Charing, the name of the village. This 
was destroyed in the civil wars, and replaced by a brass eques- 
trian statue of Charles I., which is still standing. 

From this spot looking north, you have directly before you 
the Nelson Column, a fluted pillar, with a colossal statue of 
the hero on the top, in all one hundred and fifty-six feet in 
height. Beyond it is the spacious area of Trafalgar Square, 
paved with asphaltum, and adorned with foiratains. The long 
front on the north side is the National Gallery. At the 
north-west corner of the Square is an equestrian statue of 
George IV. Towards the north-east you have a view of the 
fine portico, tower, and steeple of St. Martin's Church. On 
the east side is Morley's Hotel, a favorite resort for Ame- 
ricans. 

Charing Cross is a central point from which the jurisdic- 



WITH NEW EYES. 69 

Whitehall— St. James's Park— Hyde Park. 

tion of the Metropolitan Police radiates in all directions to the 
distance of twelve miles or more. If we go south we shall 
enter Whitehall, pass on your right the Admiralty, a massive 
brick building, in which are conducted the maritime affairs of 
the kingdom, next the Horse Guards, a handsome stone struc- 
ture, the head quarters of the British army, and next the 
Treasury, a portion of which was erected for a palace by 
Cardinal Wolsey. Here is the Office of the Secretary of State, 
and in Downing-street, round the corner, the Foreign and Co- 
lonial 'Offices. On the opposite side is Northumberland 
House, and Whitehall, built by Inigo Jones, as a Banqueting- 
house for James I. His son Charles I. slept here the night 
before his execution, and passed from one of the windows to 
the scaffold in front of it. Continuing south through Parlia- 
ment-street, you will come to the New Parliament Houses, 
in the vicinity of Westminster Abbey. 

Passing through an arched way under the " Horse Guards," 
we come out upon the Parade in the rear, in front of St. 
James's Park. Here you may witness the daily review of 
"the Guards," at 11 a.m., which is often attended by the Duke 
of Wellington. St. James's Park is perhaps half a mile long, 
with a large sheet of water in the middle, and beautifully laid 
out in walks, and adorned with the choicest flowers and shrub- 
bery. At the north-east corner is the Duke of York's Co- 
lumn. On the west, Buckingham Palace, and on the north, 
St. James's Palace. Green Park, not quite as large, joins 
it at the north-west corner, and a road between the two Parks, 
running west, leads to the south-east corner of Hyde Park, 
which covers three hundred and ninety-five acres, and presents 
a beautiful combination of hill and dale, wood and water, where 
you may lose yourself in the country, and see only glimpses of 

4^ 



70 OLDSIGHTS 



Regent's Park— Zoological Gardens— Hippopotamus. 



the tops of buildings far away in the distance. It is here that 
the " World^s Fair " was held. The immense " Crystal 
Palace," though covering eighteen acres, occupied but a small 
spot in the vast enclosure. On the right of the principal en- 
trance is Apsley House, the town residence of the Duke of 
Wellington. 

Returning from Hyde Park, we pursue a north-east course, 
through the fine street Piccadilly, admiring the stately resi- 
dences of some of the nobility, passing Devonshire House 
on our left, then Burlington House, and turning into S-egent- 
street on our left, one of the finest streets in London, through 
Portland Place, Park Crescent, Park Square, till we come to 
the south-east corner of Regent's Park, which occupies a 
space of about four hundred and fifty acres. At its northern 
extremity are the Zoological Gardens, well worth visiting. 
The abodes of the animals are scattered over the extensive and 
beautiful grounds, in situation and construction adapted as far 
as possible to their native habits. Here you may see black 
bears climbing trees to win buns from the hands of admiring 
spectators, white bears revelling in huge bathing-tubs, seals, 
otters, and beavers in their native element, and buffaloes, camels, 
antelopes, and gazelles enjoying ample range for pasturage and 
exercise. At every diverging path you are startled by some 
portentous guide-board, indicating the way, " To the Boa-con- 
strictor;^^ or " To the Grizzly Bear f^ or " To the Hippopota- 
mus.^^ This last was the public favorite at the time of my 
visit. His mansion was continually besieged by a throng of 
anxious expectants, who were admitted by a policeman twenty 
at a time into a raised gallery, from which they could contem- 
plate his amphibious majesty for five minutes. His keeper, a 
native Hindoo, was looked upon with as much wonder as the 



W I T H N E W E Y E S , 71 

"New Road"— Bunhill Fields. 

animal himself, as " the man lolio slept lolth the Hippopotamus /" 
In vain had the man attempted to relieve himself from this 
disagreeable situation. The animal invariably became so vio- 
lent and unmanageable, striking his head against the sides of 
the house, as if determined to make way with that or himself, 
that his bed-fellow was obliged to resume his place on the straw 
by his side. 

Leaving Regent's Park, which is at the north-west extremity 
of London, we will return through the New Road going east, 
passing on our right Tottenham Court Road, where is the 
chapel bearing the inscription, Erected by the Rev. George 
Whitefield, 1*756, through Euston Square, north of which is 
the grand and imposing edifice of the Birmingham Railway 
Depot, pass " St. Pancras' New Church," then through a suc- 
cession of pleasant residences, set back from the street, with 
spacious gardens in front, till we come to Gray's Inn Lane on 
our right, which if we take, turning south, we shall pass Veru- 
XAM Buildings, so named from Lord Bacon, Gray's Inn (of 
court), vsdth its beautiful grounds, and turning into Holborn, 
through Skinner-street, enter Newgate, from which we di- 
verged. 

Or instead of turning down Gray's Inn Lane, we may keep 
on east through the City Road, gradually turning to the south 
till we come to Bunhill Fields, where we must stop long 
enough to read the inscription upon the tombstone, " Mr. John 
Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress," and to call to re- 
membrance other eminent Non-conformists buried here, such 
as Dr. Wilhams, founder of the Red Cross-street Dissenters' 
Library, Dr. Isaac Watts, Dr. Stennett, Dr. Gill, Dr. Rees, of 
the Encycloepedia, and the Rev. D. Neale, author of the " History 
of the Puritans." Here too was buried that excellent woman 



72 OLDSIGHTS 



London Wall. 



Mrs. Susannah Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, 
and in the house on the right of the Wesleyan Chapel opposite, 
the Rev. John Wesley lived and died. 

Continuing south through Artillery Place, Finsbury Place, 
crossing London Wall, some remains of which are still to be 
seen in the burying-ground opposite St. Alphage's Church, 
through Moorgate- street, we finally reach the " Bank," ha\nng 
completed a tour of fifteen or twenty miles, and seen compara- 
tively but a few of the innumerable objects of interest in the 
" World's Metropohs." 



WITHNEWEYES. 73 

Farewell to London. 



CHAPTER yill. 



LONDON TO PARIS. 



Farewell to thee, dear old London ! dear to me in spite of 
all tliy smoke, and fog, and noise. Thanks for tlie multitude of 
pleasant memories connected with thy very stones ; the sense 
of personal safety with which the stranger walks thy streets, 
conscious that the strong arm of the law is around him to pro- 
tect his rights of person and property ; the countless objects of 
interest that crowd upon the attention, rich in artistic worth, or 
in historical associations ; the coaacentrated activity of mind in 
all the affairs of busy life, that makes thee a world in thyself 
■ — a world of evil, and a world of good — a hot-bed of vice and 
misery, it is true, but no less a nursery of philanthropy. Thy 
very depravity has served to develope in fairest proportions the 
angelic features of heaven-descended charity. What an em- 
bodiment of power thou art ! The remotest extremities of the 
world feel the throbbings of thy mighty pulse ! The scientific 
expedition in Polar Seas, the enterprising whalemen in Beh- 
ring's Straits, the roving trappers of Hudson's Bay, the half- 
wild colonists of the Gape of Good Hope, the convict tribes of 
Australia, the princely merchants of the Indies, all await thine 
orders, all are thy servants ! 

A few weeks' sojourn has made thee seem like an old ac- 
quaintance. And indeed, were not my earliest years greeted 



74: OLD SIGHTS 



Juvenile Associations—" Letters of Credit." 



with the sound of thy " Bow bells " ringing a merry peal on 
the day when " Whittington and his caf entered thy walls, 
and seeming to say to the youthful adventurer, ^^Welcome, 

Whittington ! Lord Mayor of London /" Were not the most 
gaily-colored picture books of my childhood from that far-famed 
depot of juvenile literature, " opposite St. PauVs Church 

Yard?''"' and has not my bibliomania in subsequent years 
always found its highest gratification in " London editions " of 
its favorite authors ? Gladly would I prolong my stay at my 
comfortable quarters in King-street; but the mounting sun 
warns me that I must be " e« route'''' for "the Continent" in 
season to avoid his sultry heats in southern climes. 

So now " to begin " — first at the American Minister's in 
Piccadilly at the " West end," to obtain the signature of the 
gentlemanly Secretary of Legation to my passport, and then to 
King William-street at the " East end," to obtain the " vise " 
of the French Consul, and then to the " London Joint Stock 
Bank " in Prince's-street, to obtain " letters of credit." 

These "letters of credit " are a great convenience to travel- 
lers. You make a deposit of money, and are then furnished 
with two letters, one containing a list of some hundred places 
in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, with the address of the 
agents of the Institution in each place. The other letter intro- 
duces you to their acquaintance, and contains checks in sums 
of £5 or £10, equal to the amount deposited, which are cut oflF 
as you draw them. Your autograph is required for this letter 
in Loudon. Whenever you draw on it, your signature is re- 
quired again, and carefully compared with the one first made. 
You pay no commission save on that which you draw abroad, 
which varies in difi*erent places according to the rate of ex- 
change. Whatever remains to your credit is handed you on 



W I T H N E W E Y E S . 75 

"Sunday Fares-" Parliamentary Carriages." 

your return to London without any deduction. A set of " Mur- 
ray's Hand Books " is indispensable. They will save you their 
cost many times over. 

Early in the morning of 20th May, I rode to the Railway 
Terminus, at London Bridge, and took my seat in a first class 
carriage for Dover. The English never use the terms " rail- 
road " and " car " as we do. They always say " railway/ " and 
''^ carriage y Their "carriages" are not one long room, as 
with us, but usually consist of three or four different apart- 
ments, like so many coach bodies joined together, each apart- 
ment having two seats facing each other, accommodating four 
on a side. In this instance, the " carriage " I rode in had 
seats arranged longitudinally, facing outward, in four apart- 
ments, opening into each other. It being " Whitsunday week," 
there was a great crowd of passengers of second, third, and 
fourth classes. The day previous, " Whitsunday ^^'' is celebrated 
%y cheap railway excursions into the country around London. 
Indeed, nearly all the English railways have a separate table of 
" Sunday fares^'' cheaper than weelc days, thus furnishing an 
inducement to the profanation of the Sabbath. I noticed 
" Parliamentary carriages," as they are called, without any 
roofs or seats, jammed full of pei'sons of all ages, sizes, and 
sexes, wedged in like a drove of sheep, in altogether too pro- 
miscuous a manner to be pleasing. It really seemed degrading 
to human nature, for human beings to be thus huddled together 
like a herd of cattle. 

The last signal is given, and off we go over the tops of 
houses, past rows of statue-like sentinels, with arms extended 
in the direction we are going, to signify that " all's right," 
through tunnel after tunnel, some over a mile in length, between 
high embankments lined with flower-beds in the vicinity of the 



76 OLD SIGHTS 



Dover— The heights— Dover Castle. 



station-liouses, past telegraph stations, through parks of stately- 
trees, with occasional glimpses of noble mansions and distant 
villages, with a constant accompaniment of a most disagreeable 
gas from the locomotive, — through Croydon, Reigate, Tun- 
bridge, Staplehurst, Ashford, &c., having a fine view of Folke- 
stone Harbor and the chalk hills, to Dover, eighty-eight miles, 
in 2^ hours, fare 20s. (about 1 5.) 

Here I had time enough to explore the town and castle be- 
fore embarking in the steamer, which lay off in the harbor at 
some distance from the land. 

Dover is one of the " Cinque-ports^'' (or " five ports," viz., 
Dover, Sandwich, Romney, Hastings, and Hythe), to which 
peculiar privileges were granted by Parliament, and a Lord 
Warden appointed over them, usually the First Lord of the 
Treasury. It has a population of 13,800, and returns two 
members to Parhament. 

The natural situation of Dover is such as to arrest the atten- 
tion of the visitor. The town lies in a deep valley formed by 
an opening in the chalk hills, which surround it in the form of 
an amphitheatre. On the heights back of the town are bar- 
racks and fortifications, to which there is an ascent by a circular 
staircase of two hundred steps in a shaft cut in the solid rock. 
As you emerge from the shaft upon the grassy slope, you have 
a fine view of the town and harbor. The crescent beach is 
covered with bathing machines on rollers (for of late years it 
has become a fashionable watering-place), and fronted with 
rows of boarding-houses, now silent and tenantless. Further 
west, long piers run out into the sea to form the harbor, 
which is entirely artificial, and has been constructed at great 
expense. 

Dover Castle is an object of interest to the antiquarian, as 



W I T H N E W E Y E S . 77 

The "Keep"— "Que en Elizabeth's Pocket Pistols." 

well as to the lover of the picturesque. It stands on the sum- 
mit of a chalk cliff to the eastward of the town, three hundred 
and twenty feet in height, and incloses within its walls a space 
of thirty-five acres. A broad road from the town winds around 
the hill to the top. The fortifications are of different epochs, 
Roman, Saxon, Norman, &c. The Avatch-tower (an octagonal 
building), the parapet, and the peculiar form of the ditch, ex- 
hibit the Roman architect. There is an ancient church within 
the fortress which was consecrated to Christian worship by St. 
Augustine, in the sixth century. 

In the centre is the " Kee'p^'' of ISTorman origin, a massy square 
edifice, 123 by 108 feet, with several turrets, one of which is 
ninety-five feet in height. The view from it in a clear day com- 
prises the ISTorth Foreland, Ramsgate pier, the Isle of Thanet, 
the valley of Dover, and the towns of Calais and Boulogne, on 
the French coast, which is only twenty-one miles distant. 

During the French Revolution, upwards of $200,000 were 
expended in repairs and additions. Extensive barracks were 
excavated in the solid rock, by which accommodations were 
provided for a garrison of four thousand men. These subter- 
ranean rooms and passages are shown to visitors upon an order 
from the military commandant. 

There is an " armory " in the keep, where many ancient 
curiosities are to be seen; among which is '■''Queen ElizahetKs 
Pocket Pistol,'''' a beautiful brass cannon, presented to Elizabeth 
by the States of Holland, as a token of respect for the assist- 
ance she aftbrded them against Spain. It is twenty-four feet 
long, and bears a Dutch inscription, which has been translated 
thus : 

"O'er hill and dale I throw my ball, 
Breaker my name, of mound and wall." , 



78 OLDSIGHTS 



' Shakspeare's Cliff "—Surf Boats— Calais. 



About half a mile to tlie south-west is " Shakspeare's Cliffy 
memorable for the description in " King Lear :" 

" Come on, sir, here's the place : — stand still ; how fearful 
And dizzy 'tis to east one's eyes so low ! 
The crows and daws that wing the midway air 
Show scarce so gross as beetles : half-way down 
Hangs one that gathers samphire ; dreadful trade ! 
Methinks he seems no bigger than his head : 
The fishermen that walk upon the beach 
Appear like mice ; and yon tall anch'ring bark 
Dhuinished to her cock; her cock a buoy 
Almost too small for sight : the murmuring surge 
That on th' unnumbered idle pebbles chafes, 
Cannot be heard so high ; I'll look no more 
Lest my brain turn and the deficient sight 
Topple down headlong." 

But our time is up. We must descend to the beach and 
take our seats in one of the large surf boats high up on the 
sand ! and when we are all stowed away, men, women, chil- 
dren, trunks, valises, baskets, band-boxes, mail-bags, &c., we 
are pushed down to the water by main strength, launched upon 
the briny surge, which receives us with a grim yawn, and then 
tosses us like a cork upon its heaving bosom. A strong pull of 
brawny arms for twenty minutes, and we are alongside of the 
steamer '•'•Faimi^'' in which, after having accomplished the diffi- 
cult feat of getting on board, we are tossed about two hours 
longer, and then by dint of the agonizing operation of a screw, 
that seems as if intent on twisting out the vitals of the ship, 
cabin and all, we run in between the long piers of Calais, lined 
with strange-looking, cap-crowned, moustached men, bare- 
headed and bare-legged women, and most unsoldierh^-looking 
soldiers.. 



WITH NEW EYES 



" Commissionaires"— Route. 



Amid the confusion of landing, you are glad to avail yourself 
of the proffered services of a " Commissionaire^'' who at once 
assumes the airs of a confidential attache to your " Lordship ;" 
makes way for you through the crowd, tips a wink to the " offi- 
cials " to let you pass, assists you in crossing the mud-puddles, 
points out to you the various objects of interest in passing, is 
indignant at the slightest want of respect for your baggage, 
carries you triumphant through the custom-house, obtains the 
necessary " vises " for your passport, shows you where to get 
your railway ticket, introduces you to a "refreshment saloon," 
and considering himself well paid with two francs, wishes " Mon- 
sieur " a pleasant trip to Paris, and with a profusion of bows 
bids you ^^ Adieu /" 

Leaving Calais at 6|- p.m., we flitted past a great many per- 
sons along the line of the road for some distance, enjoying an 
evening walk with their famihes ; on through a flat and unin- 
teresting country, intersected by scummy ditches, and traversed 
by rows of pollard willows, — through St. Omer, famous for its 
Jesuits' College, and having a Seminary for the education of 
Eno-lish and Irish Catholics, where O'Connell was educated, — 
through Hazebrouck, Lille, Douai, Amiens, celebrated for its 
Cathedral, and for the treaty of peace between France and 
England in 1802, — Creil, Pontoise, St. Denis, famous for its 
Abbey Church, the burial-place of the kings of France, since 
the time of Dagobert, a.d. 580, — to Paris, where we arrived 
about 5^- the next morning, a distance of three hundred and 
seventy-seven kilometres, or two hundred and thirty-four miles, 
a French kilometre being nearly equal to five English fur- 
longs. 



80 OLDSIGHTS 



First Impressions of Paris— Plan of Houses. 



CHAPTER IX. 



" So tliis is the gay and brilliant Paris !" said I to myself, 
as I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of the passing scene 
through the damp and dirty glass of the omnibus. We had 
entered the city by the " Chemin de fer du Nord," literally, the 
" Road of iron of the JVorth,''^ and were on our way from the 
" Embarcadere " (as the Depot is called), to our respective 
places of destination. My first impressions were certainly not 
very favorable. It was early in the morning, and I had been 
riding all night. A cold drizzling rain was falling. The streets 
were reeking with filth, the houses sombre with dirt and gloom, 
and the men and women dirty and slovenly in their appearance. 
I was completely disgusted. 

We stopped at the Hotel de Paris, in the Rue de Richelieu, 
where I concluded to take up my abode for the present. Like 
most of the houses in Paris, it is built around an open court, 
into which you pass from the street through an arched entrance 
under the front part of the building. On one side of this 
passage-way is the porter's lodge, or office, where the books are 
kept : on the other side is the principal staircase. In private 
houses each floor is generally occupied by a separate family. 
You go up one, or two, or three, or four, or five, or even six 
flights of stairs, and ring at the door in the hall, as you would 



WITHNEWEYES. 81 

Domestic Arrangements— Female Clerks— National Library. 

at tlie front door of our houses. The family with which I 
afterwards boarded, had all their rooms in the fifth story — 
kitchen, parlor, bed-rooms, and all ; all their wood, and coal, 
and water, was brought up by hand. What would our Ame- 
rican ladies think of housekeeping under such circumstances ! 

It seemed strange to see a ivoman officiating as clerk of the 
hotel, attending to our baggage, presenting the book for the 
inscription of our names, &c., and assigning to us our apart- 
ments. Cross the paved court, ascend five flights of slippery 
stairs— of polished oak, daily waxed and rubbed smooth as 
glass — through a long passage, and you have reached my 
quarters — a good-sized room with an antechamber, marble 
fire-place, old brussels carpet, mahogany bedstead, bureau, 
table, and chairs, for which I pay three francs a day, and board 
myself. 

Without troubling my reader with the details of successive 
days of sight-seeing, I will ask him to accompany me in a 
comprehensive tour of explanation, to some of the principal 
objects of interest which I visited during my stay in Paris. 

Premising that the rain has ceased, and the warm sun is 
shining, and the streets in their holiday costume, we will take a 
stroll down the Rue de Richelieu in a southerly direction. This 
open space on our right, with a fine bronze fountain adorned 
with statuary, is the " Place Richelieu." That long gloomy- 
looking building opposite, without any windows, is the Royal, 
or National Library. Every revolution in Paris involves a 
change in the names of the public institutions. Before the Re- 
volution of 1789 it was the ^'■Library of the Kingr The 
" National Convention " changed it to the " National Library.^'' 
In Napoleon's time it was the " Imperial Library P Upon the 
occupation of Paris by the allied armies in 1815, it resumed its 



82 OLDSIGHTS 



Palais Royal. 



name of the " Library of the King:' The last Revolution of 
1848 has changed it back again to the ''National Library:' 
This may serve as a specimen of the fluctuating nomenclature 
of the public buildings, bridges, and streets of Paris, which is 
often very perplexing to the stranger, especially just after a new 
form of government has been in operation long enough to effect 
a general change in this respect. 

The National Library is the largest in the world. It contains 
800,000 volumes, 72,000 manuscripts, 5000 portfohos of en- 
gravings, and a most complete collection of coins and medals. 
It is open to students and authors every day of the week without 
charge, and on certain days to visitors. You will always find a 
great many pei-sons there, consulting works and transcribing 
from them. 

Passing further down the street, we turn to our left into the 
Rue St. Honore, and enter through a Doric arcade and gateway 
into the court of the Palais Royal, or as it is now, Palais 
National. Crossing this court, which is surrounded by build- 
ings with colonnades, and passing through the opposite building, 
you enter another court of much larger dimensions, 700 by 300 
feet, which is laid out in spacious walks, shaded with lime-trees, 
and adorned with statues, and with two flower-gardens in the 
centre, separated from each other by a circular basin of water, 
with a fine jet d'eau. The houses that surround the court are 
all uniform, and consist of two stories and an attic, standing 
upon arcades. Under the arcades a broad gallery extends all 
round the court, lined with shops of all kinds, dealers in jewelry, 
and bijouterie, money-changers, tailors, milliners, &c., with a 
gTeat number of cafes and restaurants. It is a place of great 
public resort, and has been called "the Capital of Paris." On 
a fine afternoon or evening, the gardens and walks are full of 



WITH NEW EYES. 83 

"Place du Carrousel "—Triumphal Arch— The Louvre. 

visitors, leisurely promenading, or grouped in chairs, "vvbicli are 
let for tlie purpose, and a continual stream is passing through 
the galleries at all times in the day, and most of the night. 
Here you may get your meals at any price, from one franc as 
high as you please. 

The " Palais Royal " Avas originally a palace, begun by Car- 
dinal de Richelieu in 1629, and successively occupied by Louis 
XIIL, Louis XIV., the Duke of Orleans, and in part by Louis 
PhiHppe. It is now solely occupied by public offices, shops, 
and places of amusement. 

Resuming our walk, a little distance south we enter the Place 
du Carrousel, which derives its name from a great tournament 
held by Louis XIV. in 1662. It is a large open space sur- 
rounded by public buildings. The principal object of interest 
in it is the Triumphal Arch, erected by Napoleon in 1806, 
which is forty-five feet in height, sixty in length, and twenty in 
breadth. It is a copy of the arch of Septimius Severus in 
Rome, and consists of a central arch, and two smaller lateral 
ones, each of which is intersected by a transversal arch. Upon 
the top is a triumphal car and four bronze horses, modelled 
from the famous Corinthian horses in front of St. Mark's, Ve- 
nice. An allegorical female figure, representing Victory, stands 
in the car, and one on each side leads the horses. Over the 
smaller archways are marble bas-reliefs, finely executed, repre- 
senting memorable events of the campaign of 1805. The cost 
of the monument was nearly $300,000. 

A short distance east of the Place du Carrousel, you enter 
the Place du Museum, and stand in front of the Louvre. This 
palace was commenced by Francis I. in 1528, and has been 
beautified and extended by successive occupants. The interior 
court is four hundred and eight feet square, and surrounded by 



84 OLD SIGHTS 



Picture Grallery— Palace of the Tuileries— Gardens of Tuileries— Place Vendome. 

richly ornamented buildings on all sides. It is now almost 
wholly devoted to the Fine Arts. The Museum of the Louvre 
contains a collection of antiquities, a museum of French sculp- 
ture, a gallery of paintings of the Italian, Flemish, and French 
schools, a collection of Spanish paintings, the Standish museum, 
and a highly interesting collection of models of shipping. The 
celebrated Picture Gallery is in the long range on the south 
of the Place du Carrousel, connecting the two Palaces of the 
Louvre and Tuileries, which was built by Henry IV., Louis XIIL, 
and Louis XIV. It is 1332 feet in length, forty-two in width, 
and lined with pictures throughout. 

The Palace of the Tuileries is on the east side of the Place 
du Carrousel. The spacious court is inclosed by an iron rail- 
ing in front, and buildings on the other sides. Napoleon used 
to review his troops in this court. This Palace was commenced 
by Catherine de Medicis in 1564, and enlarged and embellished 
by her successors. Napoleon built the North Gallery, with the 
design of connecting it with the Louvre on that side also. 

In the rear of this Palace are the Gardens of the Tuile- 
BiES, an area of sixty-seven acres, diversified with shady groves 
of chestnut-trees, elms, and limes, beautiful flower gardens, broad 
terraces, and walks with rows of orange trees in large boxes, 
circular basins of water with fountains, and statues of gods and 
goddesses, and heroes, singly and in groups, innumerable. 
These Gardens are open to the pubHc, and are a favorite resort 
of all classes. 

A httle north of the Tuileries is the Place Vendome, an 
octagonal space, with the Vendome pillar in the centre. This 
was erected by Napoleon in commemoration of the German 
campaign in 1S05. It is in imitation of the Pillar of Trajan 
at Rome, of the Tuscan order, one hundred and . thirty-four feet 



WITHKEWEYES. 85 

Place de la Concorde—Palais National. 

in height, and twelve in diameter, surmounted with a statue of 
Napoleon. The pedestal and shaft are of stone, and covered 
with bas-reliefs in bronze (representing the various victories of 
the French army), composed of 1200 pieces of cannon taken 
from the Russian and Austrian armies. The bas-reliefs wind 
around the shaft in a spiral direction from the base to the capi- 
tal, divided by a band bearing inscriptions of the scenes repre- 
sented. On the top is a gallery, approached by a winding 
staircase of one hundred and seventy-six steps, from which is a 
fine view of Paris and the environs. 

Returning to the Gardens of the Tuileries, and walking on in 
a westerly direction, we enter the Place de la Concorde, a 
vast area in the form of an octagon, tastefully ornamented with 
statues and fountains, and having in the centre the Obelisk of 
Luxor (or Thebes), a single block of red granite, seventy-two 
feet three inches in height, and seven feet six inches in width at 
the base, which formerly stood in front of the great Temple o,f 
Thebes, erected by Sesostris, king of Egypt, 1550 b.c. It is 
covered with hieroglyphics from the base to the summit. The 
entire cost of transferring it to its present position was 2,000,000 
francs. 

In this place Louis XVI. was guillotined, and his consort, 
Marie Antoinette ; Charlotte Corday, Brissot, Danton, Robes- 
pierre, St. Just, Couthon, and a host of others. Between 
January 1*793 and May 1795, more than 2800 victims of the 
Revolution were executed here. From the southern side of the 
Place de la Concorde, a broad avenue leads across the Bridge 
" de la Concorde " to the Palais National, on the opposite 
bank of the river Seine, which, until very recently, was the seat 
of the Legislative Assembly. 

Continuing in a westerly direction, we enter the Champs 



86 OLD SIGHTS 

Champs Elys^es— The Barriers— Arc de Triomphe de I'Etoile. 

ElyseeSj or " Elysian Fields," an extensive tract, laid out in 
handsome walks, and groves, and gardens. The broad Avenue 
de Neuilly, adorned with fine shade trees, the whole length a 
distance of a mile and a quarter, conducts by a gradual ascent 
to the Barrier de I'Etoile. (The Barriers are edifices at the 
gates of the city walls, for the collectors of the revenues. The 
same name is also given to the wide road around the walls.) 

On the summit of the elevation at the head of this avenue, 
stands the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, which was com- 
menced by Napoleon in 1806, but not finished till 1832. It is 
an enormous mass of stone, one hundred and fifty-two feet in 
height, one hundred and thirty-seven wide, and sixty-eight 
thick ; and consists of a vast central arch ninety feet high, on 
each side of which piers of unusual solidity rise to support a 
bold entablature and attic. Each of these piers is pierced by a 
transverse arch, fifty-seven feet high, and twenty-five wide. The 
faces of the piers, outside and inside, and the vaults of the 
arches, are covered with sculpture illustrative of the career of 
Napoleon ; allegorical groups, such as the Genius of War sum- 
moning the nations to arms, warriors of different ages hastening 
to battle. Victory crowning Napoleon, &c., &c. ; representations 
of his victories, such as Abukir, Alexandria, Austerlitz, Jemap- 
pes, &c. ; names of the victories, and of the principal generals. 
Within the monument, staircases in each pier conduct to vaulted 
rooms over the principal arch, in three series, one above another. 
The platform on top commands one of the finest views of the 
city and its environs. Eastward you look down the magnificent 
Avenue de Neuilly through the Champs Elysees, and Gardens 
of the Tuileries, to the Palace beyond and the dense mass of 
buildings in the distance, among which you can easily distin- 
guish on the right the beautiful domes of the Hotel des Inva- 



WITH NEW EYES. 87 

Arc de Triomphe de I'Etoile. 

lides and the Pantheon, the Palace of Luxembourg, in front the 
towers of Notre Dame, and on the left the Church of the Ma- 
deleine, and the height of Montmartre and the Batignolles. 
Westward the eye ranges over a wide extent of country diver- 
sified with forests, villages, cultivated fields, and distant hills. 



88 OLDSIGHTS 



Swimming Schools "—" City Island "—" Notre Dame." 



CHAPTER X. 



PARIS AND VERSAILLES. 



Let us continue our exploration of Paris by taking a walk 
beside the river Seine. The banks are skirted with spacious 
quays, in many places planted with trees, and affording agreeable 
promenades. Moored in the stream are floating laundries, full 
of washerwomen hard at work ; large bathing-houses, with 
inscriptions in large letters, '"''Ecoles de Natation aux Hommes^'' 
i. e. " Swimming-schools for the men," and ^^ Ecoles de Natation 
aux Femmes^"^ i. e. " Swimming-schools for the women ;" 
dredging machines scraping up the mud, and clumsy-looking 
flat-bottomed barges. Wide bridges of stone and iron span the 
river at frequent intervals, many of them thronged with pas- 
sengers. One of these, Pont Neuf, rests on twelve arches, and 
is 1020 feet long. It is supported in the centre on a point of 
an island called the " Isle de la Cite,''^ or " City Island," the 
ancient seat of Paris, densely covered with buildings. Let us 
thread its narrow and crooked passages till we come out into 
the area '■^Parvis de Notre Dame^^ in front of the Cathedral. 

CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME. 

Much of the effect of Notre Dame is lost by reason of its 
low situation, several feet below the level of the street, and its 



WITHNEWEYES. 89 
Tower and Belfry. 

close proximity to the surrounding buildings. Still it is a noble 
pile, and has a venerable air of antiquity, that impresses the 
beholder. Its dimensions are, length, three hundred and ninety 
feet ; width at the transepts, one hundred - and forty-four feet ; 
height of the vaulting, one hundred and two feet ; height of the 
western towers, two hundred and four feet ; and width of the 
western front, one hundred and twenty-eight feet. Three ample 
portals lead into the body of the nave and the aisles, in the most 
exquisitely wrought pointed style, each composed of three sys- 
tems of arches, retiring one within the other, richly sculptured 
with angels, scriptural figures, saints, &c. 

The north tower has a colossal bell, called " Le Bourdon^'' 
{. e. " the drone " (from its low, deep sound), which weighs 
32,200 pounds, and requires sixteen men to ring it. It is only 
rung on state occasions. I ascended this tower by the dark 
stone staircase of three hundred and eighty steps to the belfry, 
where two men were ringing the ordinary bells by pushing the 
yoke from above with their feet. It seemed to be very hard 
work. The sides of the belfry ara open arches, and the rest of 
the ascent was by a series of crazy steps and ladders, that 
shook with every swing of the bells, and gave a fearful interest 
to the view of the roof and pavement through the open arches. 
On reaching the top, however, I felt myself rewarded for my 
pains by the commanding prospect of the city, which gave me 
a clear idea of the relative situation of all its parts. You can 
also see to fine advantage the flying buttresses which rise from 
the outer walls of the chapels to support the lofty clerestory. 
These chapels are external additions to the main building on 
the two sides, opening into the interior, and having the appear- 
ance of recesses. Much of the stone carving in the interior 
has been fretted out by the weather, and is now in a process of 



90 OLDSIGHTS 



Devils' Heads— Interior— Historical Associations— Revolutionary Desecration. 

restoration. I was struck with the great number of devils'' 
heads upon the towers, some very grotesque, and others very 
malignant in expression. 

Let us descend and take a view of the interior. The air 
seems gray and heavy with the gloom of ages. Cast your eye 
along the massive pillars, alternately circular and clustered, 
that support the nave and choir ; and notice the curious little 
galleries with stone balustrades on the sides of the walls, one 
above another, almost to the roof, leading one wonders where ; 
explore the forty-five chapels with their beautiful rosaces of 
stained glass of the thirteenth century, and their countless 
shrines and decorations ; stand before the marble group over 
the altar, representing the Descent from the Cross; examine 
the curiously-sculptured compartments of the wall inclosing 
the choir, representing the mysteries in the life of Christ, 
executed in 1352 ; and then let the mind go back into the past, 
and call up some of the eventful scenes which have been wit- 
nessed by these walls. 

The first ecclesiastic who ofiiciated here was Heraclius, the 
Patriarch of Jerusalem, in 1185, who came to Paris to preach 
the third crusade. Since then what multitudes have thronged 
these spacious aisles, and kneeled upon this marble floor ! 
"What ages of superstition have lavished their ill-gotten wealth 
upon these costly shrines ! Here, in the Revolution of the last 
century, the Parisian mob entered like a pack of wolves, and 
vented their insensate fury upon these walls, stripping them of 
their ornaments, gorging their avarice with the spoils, and dis- 
interring the buried Archbishops of Paris, for the sake of their 
lead coffins ! Here was performed the imposing ceremony of 
Napoleon's coronation, which the Pope was compelled to grace 
with his presence. Here the mob again rioted in 1831, cutting 



WITHNEWEYES. 91 

Hotel Dieu—" College of France "—Pantheon. 

up the coronation robes, and the splendid dresses of the 
Bishops and Chapter, for the sake of the gold embroidery, 
and destroying everything within their reach. An infidel sar- 
casm from my companion broke in upon my reflections, and 
provoked a reply that led to further conversation, till at length 
we sat down and added another scene to the history of Notre 
Dame, viz. — that of two young Americans discussing the 
evidence of Christianity upon the steps of its high altar. 

Emerging from the gloom and walking westward, we pass 
on our left the immense hospital Hotel Dieu, the most ancient 
in Paris, founded in the seventh century, and crossing the Petit 
Font, i. e. " little bridge," pass up Rue St. Jacques. We are 
now in " the students' " quarters, as indicated by the gi'eat 
number of book stalls filled with classical and scientific works, 
notices of " Lodgings to let," and innumerable small beer-shops. 

In this vicinity are the " College of France," the " College 
of the Sorbonne," the " College of Henry IV.," the " Normal 
School," the " Polytechnic School," the " School of Medicine," 
the " School of Law," &c., &c. My friend and I stopped at 
the College of France long enough to hear a lecture from Pro- 
fessor Ampere on French Literature. A number of young 
ladies were in attendance, and the occasional glances of the 
students in that direction forcibly reminded us of our college 
days. It seems strange, however, to see a mustachioed Professor 
in the chair. Our next visit was to the 

PANTHEON. 

This is one of the finest buildings in Paris. It was originally 
the Church of St. Genevieve, and was built by Louis XV., in 
1 764. Of late years, however, it has not been used for religious 



92 O L D S I G H T S 



Portico— Plan of the Building— French Mythology— Fine View. 

service, but solely as a temple for the monuments and remains 
of the illustrious dead. It is said that Louis ISTapoleon designs 
to give it back into the hands of the priests. 

The portico is composed of twenty-two fluted Corinthian 
columns, sixty feet in height, and six feet in diameter, support- 
ing a triangular pediment one hundred and twenty feet in 
breadth, by twenty-four in height, which contains a large com- 
position in sculpture by David, representing France dispensing- 
honors to her great men. A notice at the door conveys a deli- 
cate hint to the visitor, assuring him in the most positive terms, 
that the guide in attendance to conduct strangers through the 
building has no public comjjensation whatever. 

The plan of the building is a Greek or equilateral cross. 
Each arm of the cross is ninety-nine feet in length, and- has a 
richly sculptured vaulted roof of eighty feet above the marble 
pavement. From the intersection of these arms rises a great 
dome, springing from a circular gallery surrounded by thirty- 
two Corinthian columns, sixty-two feet in diameter at the base, 
and two hundred and eighty-two feet in height. The inside of 
the dome is covered with a fine painting, representing, upon the 
lower part, the four monarchs of France, Clovis, Charlemagne, 
St. Louis, and Louis XVIIL, with figures of angels, and other 
emblems of glory. Above is St. Genevieve, descending towards 
them upon a cloud, while higher up in the heavenly regions 
are seen Louis XVL, Marie Antoinette, Louis XVIL, and 
Madame Ehzabeth ! A gleam of light at the loftiest point 
indicates the abode of the Deity. 

The construction of the dome is worthy of particular atten- 
tion. It consists of three stone vaultings, one over the other, 
and each independent of the rest. The ascent by which you 
go up is between these vaultings. From the highest gallery on 



WITH NEW EYES. 93 

Tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau— Palace of Luxembourg— Various Uses. 

the outside you have a very fine view of Paris and the sur- 
rounding country. 

Underneath the pavement is an immense series of vaults for 
the remains of the dead. Here are the tombs of Voltaire and 
Rousseau, whose apotheoses were celebrated in the church above, 
and of many other distinguished persons. 

A short distance west of the Pantheon, fronting the Rue de 
Vaugirard, stands the 

PALACE OF LUXEMBOURG. 

It derives its name from the Duke of Luxembourg, who had 
a mansion on this spot in 1583, which was purchased by Marie 
de Medicis in 1612, who built the present palace upon the 
model of the Pitti Palace in Florence, the residence of the 
Grand Dukes of Tuscany. 

It has witnessed a great many changes. It was occupied 
successively by its founder, her son, Duke of Orleans, the 
Duchess de Montpensier, the Duchess of Guise, Louis XIV., 
the Duchess of Brunswick, Madame d'Orleans, and Louis XVIIL, 
who occupied it till 1791, when he quitted France. During 
the first years of the Revolution it was converted into a prison ; 
in 1795 it became the place of the sittings of "the Directory," 
and was called the " Palace of the Directory ; " when Bona- 
parte came into power, it was devoted to the sittings of the 
Consuls, and received the name of the " Palace of the Consu- 
late," and shortly after " Palace of the Senate Conservator ; " 
in 1814 it became the " Palace of the Chamber of the Peers." 

The original palace is on four sides of a court, 360 by 300 
feet. At the four corners are four large square three- storied 
buildings, or pavilions, with pyramidal roofs. These corner 

5* 



94 OLDSIGHTS 



Description of the Building— Napoleon's Rooms— Jardin des Plantes. 

pavilions are connected on the sides and in the rear of the court 
by a two-storied range. The front consists of an elegant rotun- 
da in the centre, surmounted by a handsome cupola, and con- 
nected with the corner pavilions on each side by a one-storied 
range, decorated with pilasters, and having upon the top an 
open gallery with balustrades. 

I was shown through the rooms once occupied by Napoleon, 
and sat in the chair in which he was crowned ; visited the 
Senate Chamber and Chamber of Peers, a small chapel richly 
adorned with paintings and sculpture, the bed-chamber of 
Marie de Medicis, decorated with paintings and gilding on the 
sides and ceiling, in the most sumptuous style, and passed 
many hours in the fine gallery of paintings and sculpture. 
The grounds in the rear are very extensive, and comprise a 
flower-garden with a piece of water in the centre, encircled by 
terraces, ornamented with vases and balustrades, and groups of 
statuary, broad walks with rows of stately trees, an immense 
nursery ground on the right, and a botanical garden on the 
left. When I was there 8000 soldiers were on parade in the 
central avenue. 

Some distance to the east, on the banks of the Seine, near 
the Bridge of Austerlitz, is the 

JARDIN DES PLANTES, 

or " Garden of the Plants," a vast inclosure, which contains the 
natural productions of every country on the globe. Much of its 
prosperity is owing to the genius of the great naturahst BufFon, 
who devoted himself to its improvement with indefatigable 
zeal. Huge conservatories of glass and iron have been erected 
to shelter the tall slants of tropical climes. Every species of 



WITHNEWEYES. 95 

"Wine Market"— "Grain Market." 

animal has its appropriate habitation in some part of the esta- 
blishment. Large buildings, constructed for the purpose, con- 
tain unrivalled collections in Zoology, Mineralogy, Geology, 
Botany, Comparative Anatomy, &c., which are open to the 
public on certain days without charge. There is also an am- 
phitheatre for public lectures, and a fine library of works on 
Natural History. In short it is a complete museum of Natural 
History. 

The Halle aux Vins, or " Wine Market," near by, is worthy 
a passing notice. It is a large tract of ground, inclosed with 
walls on three sides, and an iron railing on the side towards the 
quay, and occupied by piles of buildings for the storage of 
wines and spirits. The ranges of buildings are separated by 
streets called after the different kinds of wine, e. g. Rue de 
Champagne, Rue de Bordeaux, Rue de Languedoc, &c. Some 
idea of its extent may be obtained from the length of the iron 
railing on the side next to the river, which is about 2,600 feet, 
or more than half a mile. 

There is also the Halle aux Ble, or " Grain Market," a vast 
circular building, La Bourse, or " the Exchange," which has 
a beautiful peristyle of sixty-six Corinthian columns, the Hotel 
DE Ville, or "Town Hall," the residence of the Mayor of Paris, 
the Hotel des Invalides, beneath whose beautiful dome lie 
the remains of Napoleon, the Palace of Justice, the magnifi- 
cent church of the Madeleine, with its noble peristyle of fifty- 
two Corinthian columns, sixty feet in height, and six in diame- 
ter, and its profusion of statuary, the churches of " Notre Dame 
de Lorette," of St. Eustache, of St. Sulpice, the cemetery of 
Pere la Chaise, " the city of the dead," crowded with monu- 
ments of every size and shape, and exhibiting much of the 
same heartless sentiment and foppish vanity which characterize 



OLD S I G H T S 



Palace of Versailles— Lavish Expenditure. 



the city of the living; and a multitude of other objects of 
interest, which my limits will not allow me to enumerate. I 
will conclude this imperfect sketch with a brief account of my 
visit to the 

PALACE OF VERSAILLES. 

Versailles is a large town of 30,000 inhabitants, south- 
west of Paris, distant about 10^ miles by railroad. The 
palace is the chief object of interest. The day on which I 
visited it will ever be one of the most memorable in my life. 
It gave me an idea of princely splendor and magnificence of 
which I had no previous conception. I shall not attempt to 
describe it in detail. That would require months of explora- 
tion, and volumes of description. I shall simply give a few 
particulars, with the general impression left upon my mind by 
the survey. 

The Palace was commenced by Louis XIY., in 1664. His 
father had a small chateau upon the spot, which was left stand- 
ing, but is almost lost amid the magnificent piles that were 
built around it. It is estimated that the sum expended upon 
the buildings and grounds during his reign, amounted to 
$200,000,000 ! and millions more have been lavished upon it 
by succeeding monarchs. 

The late Louis Philippe expended an immense sum in 
restoring it to its ancient splendor, and filling it with an endless 
series of paintings, sculpture, and works of art, illustrative of 
everything that has reflected honor on the annals of France, 
from the cradle of the monarchy down to the present day. 
One of the last additions is a noble painting by Horace Yernet, 
50 by 16 feet, representing the " Capture of Ahdel Kader hy 
the Due jyAnmahy 



W I T H N E W E Y E S . 97 

Place d'Armes— Statues of the Marshals, Ac— Extent of the Buildings, &c. 

You approach it from the town through the broad Avenue 
de Paris rising towards the Place d'Armes, a fine open space, 
eight hundred feet broad, on the eastern side of which is a 
handsome range of buildings, with semicircular fronts, with 
courts inclosed by iron railings, and lofty gateways ornamented 
with trophies and sculptured pediments. There are the Royal 
Stables, with accommodations for 1000 horees. The Place 
d'Armes is separated from the court of the Palace by stone 
parapets, flanking an iron raihng richly charged with gilded 
ornaments, and having a central gateway, surmounted by the 
ancient shield of France, with the three fleurs de lis. At the 
extremities of this railing are colossal groups in stone, of 
France victorious over Austria and Spain. 

As you enter the spacious court, the majestic forms of the 
Marshals and other dignitaries of France, such as Richelieu, 
Bayard, Turenne, Sully, Conde, <fec., sixteen in all, look down 
upon you from their marble pedestals, like shades of the 
mighty dead, and as you advance you are confronted by a 
colossal equestrian statue in bronze of the Grand Monarch 
himself. 

To describe the various buildings would be impossible. They 
constitute a town of themselves, with squares, and courts, and 
streets innumerable. It may serve to convey some idea of 
their extent to mention, that the western front of the principal 
building of the Palace, consisting of a projecting centre with 
two immense wings, is 1840 feet in length ! From the mag- 
nificent terrace you look away over its gardens, and fountains, 
and lakes, and rivers, and forests, and lawns, and parks, and 
avenues, adorned with statues, and temples, and grottoes, and 
summer-houses, as far as the eye can reach. It covers the site 
of many villages. 



98 OLDSIGHTS 



Magnificence of the Interior— Grand G-alerie des Glaces. 

To describe the interior would require volumes. You may 
walk seven miles through its galleries without retracing your 
steps. Language fails to convey any idea of its magnificence. 
I can only speak of interminable suites of apartments, with 
tesselated floors of polished oak, sides of variegated marble, 
gilded cornices, walls and ceilings covered with the most beau- 
tiful paintings, Representing angels and cherubs, kings and 
princes, nymphs and graces, warriors and battle-scenes — -no 
mere daubs, but most elaborate productions, a single picture 
sometimes occupying the whole side of a room sixty feet long, 
and painted at a cost of twenty or thirty thousand dollars — 
room after room, on the same floor, in the same range, each 
seeming to exceed all the rest in splendor — one, the Grand 
Galerie des Qlaces^ two hundred and forty -two feet long, on one 
side continuous mirrors the whole length, and on the other, 
seventeen arched windows, and sixty pilasters of red marble in 
the spaces between — the vaulted ceiling painted its whole 
length with the principal events in the life of Louis XIV. I 
wonder not that the haughty monarch, as he held his court in 
this gallery, when everything he saw reminded him of his sur- 
passing glory, should have felt himself to be more than human, 
and claimed the honors of an apotheosis ! 



WITHNEWEYES. 99 

Passport "Visas." 



CHAPTER XL 



PARIS TO LYONS. 



The traveller on ^'the continent" soon finds that he cannot 
leave the place of his sojourn on the instant. In England or 
in the United States, if we wish to go anywhere, we may take 
the first conveyance within our reach, and start the next 
moment if we please. But in Europe your movements are 
under the control of the public authorities. You must consult 
them in order to obtain permission both to enter a place and 
leave it. Your passport^ as well as yourself, must be in travel- 
ling order. This will often subject you to a detention of several 
hours, and oblige you to postpone your departure to the mor- 
row. First, you must have the " visa " of the American Con- 
sul or Secretary of Legation ; next that of the civil functiona- 
ries ; and then of the Consuls of those countries which ^ou 
expect to enter. As a general rule, it is best not to obtain any 
more " visas " than necessary for your next principal stopping 
place ; otherwise you may be obhged to obtain them all over 
again before reaching the country for which they are given. I 
was told in Paris that I must get the " visa " of the Papal 
Kuncio there, as I was going to Rome, and the " visa " of the 
Sardinian Minister, as I was going to Sardinia, &c., &c. Had 
I done so, I should have had to get them all over again. 
Instead of that, I simply obtained what was requisite for my 



100 OLD SIGHTS 



Route to Lyons— Choisy—SaYigny—Etampes— Guinette— "Battle of Herrings." 

journey to Lyons and Marseilles, viz. the " visa " of the 
American Secretary of Legation, of the Minister of the Interior, 
and of the Prefect of the Police. 

There are several different routes from Paris to Lyons. The 
one which I took was by rail to Orleans and ISTerondes, and 
thence by diligence. We left Paris at 7 45 a.m., passing on 
our right the walls of the Hospice de la Salpetriere, an 
immense poor-house . (formerly a saltpetre manufactory), 
through a pleasant country bordering the left bank of the 
Seine, with occasional views of the river, past many handsome 
villas and country-seats, through Choisy — a thriving manufac- 
turing town — sometimes called Choisy-le-Roi, from a chateau 
which Louis XV. built here for himself and Madame de Pona- 
padour^now demolished, except a fragment which has been 
turned into a china manufactory ; Juvisy — whose bridge over 
the Orge was anciently the boundary between the kingdoms of 
Paris and Orleans ; Savigny with its handsome castle ; Epiny ; 
St. Michel, — where you see one tower remaining of an ancient 
castle built by a forester of King Robert in 1012, which was the 
terror of the kings of France in feudal times ; Etainpes — 
where you have a fine view of a ruined tower on' your right 
called Guinette, the only remains of the royal castle and palace 
built in the eleventh century, by King Robert, and dismantled 
by Henri IV. ; Artenay — where an English detachment of 2000 
men under Sir John FalstafF, escorting a convoy of provisions to 
the army besieging Orleans, defeated a force, 4000 strong, of 
French and Scotch under Dunois and the Count of Clermont, 
who endeavored to intercept them — called " the Battle of Her- 
rings," from the salt fish for Lent which formed the bulk of the 
provisions intended for the English ; Chevilly— where fossil re- 
mains of gigantic quadrupeds have been discovered — to Orleans, 



WITH NEW EYES. 101 

"The Maid of Orleans"— The Diligence. 

seventy-five miles south-west of Paris, where we arrived at 
11 45. 

Orleans (the Roinan Genabum, mentioned by Ccesar in his 
Commentaries) is a city of about 50,000 inhabitants, and the 
capital of the Department of the Loire. Among the prominent 
objects of interest are the Cathedral of St. Croix, one of the 
finest Gothic edifices in France, having two elegant towers, each 
two hundred and eighty feet high ; a bronze statue of Joan of 
Arc, " the Maid of Orleans," and various memorials of her 
exploits. 

From Orleans we travelled by rail through a barren, flat, 
uninteresting country to Vierzon ; thence through Meliun, where 
you see a fragment of the castle in which Charles VII. spent 
much of the early part of his reigii in indolence, and where he 
at last allowed himself to die of starvation through fear of being 
23oisoned by his son, afterwards Louis XI. ; through Bourges, a 
city of 20,000 inhabitants, with a fine Cathedral, and some 
historical monuments, the birth-place of Louis XI. and of the 
famous preacher Bourdaloue — to Nerondes — an insignificant 
village where the railway terminated, and we were obliged to 
take the diligence. 

The French diligence, or stage-coach, is altogether a novel 
aff"air to an American. Imagine a common coach body with 
two seats, facing each other, wide enough for three on a seat ; 
this is called the mterieur ; in front of this another apartment 
with one seat, facing the horses, and having glass windows in 
front, and at the sides ; this is called the coupe, and is considered 
the best seat; and back of the interieur a third apai'tment, 
with seats arranged lengthwise, facing each other, and a door 
behind ; this is called the rotonde (from its semicircular shape), 
and is the worst part of the whole. The fare varies according 



102 OLD SIGHTS 



Contents— Transportation by Rail— Cramped Quarters. 



to the seat. On the roof of the coupe is another seat, called 
the banquette, with a top like a gig, and in front of this is the 
driver's box. The coupe will usually contain three persons ; the 
interieur six, the rotonde six, and the banquette three, including 
the conductor, a sort of guard, who attends to the passengers, 
the luggage, the way-bill, and the brake upon the wheels, which 
is regulated by a crank at his side. The seats in the diligence 
are all numbered, and the passengers are not allowed to take 
their seats until the conductor calls the roll, and assigns each 
one his proper place. 

On looking around in search of the dihgence, as we left the 
railway, 1 was surprised to see the cumbrous machine swinging 
in the air from the end of an iron crane, in process of removal 
from a truck in the railway train ! Yes ! sure enough ! we 
had brought it along with us all the way from Paris ! For, in 
France, when stage-coaches connect with railways, instead of 
the passengers changing carriages at the points of connexion, 
the carriages change their mode of traveling. The diligence 
is loaded at the office in Paris, passengers, baggage, and all, 
driven to the railway, where it is lifted oft" its wheels and de- 
posited on a rail-truck, and, on arriving at the end of the rail- 
way, lifted off and set a-going upon its wheels again ! 

Not being aware of this arrangement, I had not secured a 
seat in the diligence at Paris, and was therefore obliged to 
take the only place left, viz. — upon the roof back of the ban- 
quette, where the luggage is stowed under a huge leather cover. 
This cover came down so low as not to admit of a sitting pos- 
ture ; behind me was a great pile of trunks and boxes ; and 
in front of me the three occupants of the banquette, between 
whose shoulders 1 could catcji occasional glimpses of the out- 
side, and a breath of fresh air, when they were not smoking. 



WITH NEW EYES. 103 

Fellow Travellers— Dirty Villages— The Conductor. 

I shall never forget that night's ride. AVe started an hour 
before sunset. My elevated and cramped position gave me a 
lively interest in every motion of the lumbering . vehicle. I 
could not help thinking, if we should upset, how utterly im- 
possible it would be for me to extricate myself from the 
wreck. 

The occupants of the seat in front of me were profuse in 
their expressions of commiseration for ray unfortunate situa- 
tion, and consoled me with the probability of a vacancy in the 
course of the journey. One of them, who wore the ribbon of 
the Legion of Honor in his button-hole, was very polite and 
sociable, especially on learning that I was an American. All 
sorts of inquiries respecting our political institutions were 
directed towards me, which I endeavored to satisfy as well as 
my imperfect knowledge of the language would admit. The 
chevalier seemed to prefer English as the medium of commu- 
nication ; but I thought that I could talk French better than 
he could English ; at any rate, I was determined to practise it. 
He gave me one piece of advice about the best way of acquir- 
ing the language, which I found of service. " Throw away 
your phrase-hook^'' said he, "and stick to the grammar and 
dictionary^ 

We rumbled along through fields inclosed with hedgerows, 
over slight elevations crowned with trees, down in the valley 
again, and every few miles clattering, and thundering, and 
jolting over the rough pavement of some dirty little village, 
almost scraping the walls of the houses as we passed, and 
making the narrow street ring with the sharp crackling of the 
driver's lash. Wherever we stopped, the whole population 
generally turned out to receive us — men, women, children, 
babies, dogs, and all. The conductor was evidently a great 



104 OLD SIGHTS 



Nevers— Tobacco Smoke and Politics. 



personage in their estimation. The favored individual whom 
he greeted with a word or nod of recognition, tihed his cap a 
notch higher in consequence, and seemed to think more of 
himself and less of his neighbors ever afterwards. I must do 
him the justice to say that he took very good care of us. He 
seemed to consider himself responsible for our safe delivery at 
the end of our journey, and all our grumblings and complaints 
met with a serious and respectful attention. 

But such miserable villages and villagers I never saw before. 
How people can be satisfied to live in such dark, damp, filthy 
abodes, of timber, stone, and mortar, black with age, and clot- 
ted with dirt, looking out on gutters and pigsties, when the 
bright, clean, wide country is around them on every side, I 
cannot conceive, I would rather pitch a tent on a grassy 
slope under a tree for the summer, and dig a hole in ihe bank 
for the winter. 

We enter Nevers, (mentioned by Caesar in his Commentaries 
by the name of ^'- JSFoviodmium,^'') situated at the confluence of 
the Nievre and Loire, an ancient looking city, black with the 
smoke of its potteries and iron foundries. "We leave it, and 
crossing the Loire by a heavy bridge of twenty stone arches, 
proceed up the valley of the Allier, its tributary. Darkness 
has spread over the landscape. My companions in front have 
made a requisition on the conductor for his match-box, and 
their pipes and cigars are in full blast. The conversation has 
changed to politics, and the strife of words waxes fiercer and 
fiercer. In the mean time a storm has arisen without, and the 
leathern apron in front is let down to keep out the driving 
v/ind and rain. Higher and higher rises the shrill nasal din of 
controversy, thicker and thicker grows the tobacco smoke; I 
can stand it no longer ; I spread out a heap of overcoats under 



WITH NEW EYES. 105 
Abed and Asleep— Midnight Glimpses— Mouli ns—Tarare and its fine muslins. 

me, my head sinks upon my carpet bag, and I am away in far 
distant regions across the sea, travelling the airy round of 
dreams. 

A sudden jolt awakens me. All is still around me. The 
angry disputants are fast asleep. No sound is heard but the 
rumbling of the diligence, the steady jog of the horses, and the 
pattering of the rain. Now we begin to ascend a hill, through 
a tract of forest, for I can see the gleam of our lamps upon the 
tall trees. All is wild and desolate. It seems a strange place 
for me to be in. Where am I ? What has brought me here ? 
It seems but yesterday since I was at home ! Far ahead I see 
two bright lights, like the eyes of some wild animal. They 
grow brighter and brighter, and now the twanging horn is 
heard, and the roll of wheels, and the Malle posle dashes past 
us, and then all is dark and desolate as before. Another pair 
of hghts, and a heavy English carriage rolls by, with a glimpse 
of a portly old gentleman in night-cap and muffler, well wrap- 
ped up against the damp and chilly air. 

We rattle through Moulins, a city of about 15,000 inhabit- 
ants, and a number of small villages, and the cold gray air of 
morning begins to dawn. We pass through Rounne, a town 
of 12,000 inhabitants, at the head of navigation on the Loire, 
cross the river by a fine stone bridge, and commence the ascent 
of the Montagne de Tarare. The road is wide and smooth, 
carried up in a series of zigzag terraces, sweeping around the 
shoulders of the hills, and crossing the gorges on handsome 
bridges of masonry, protected at the sides by stone studs, till 
we reach the summit of the Pass, 3000 feet above the sea, 
and then descend. At the foot of the descent we enter Tarare, 
a town of 8000 inhabitants, one long winding street in a nar- 
row valley, famous for its fine muslins. It is said that in the 



106 OLD SIGHTS 



Entrance of Lyons. 



town and surrounding country, 52,000 persons are employed in 
this manufacture. The weavers ply their trade in damp cellars, 
which are neither floored nor warmed by fire, in order to keep 
up the moisture necessary for weaving fine webs, and to prevent 
the breaking of the thread. 

We soon leave this narrow valley ; the country opens out 
before us, and about noon we have a fine view of the city of 
Lyons in the distance, extending along the banks of two large 
rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, at their confluence, and sur- 
rounded by an amphitheatre of hills. Handsome villas, and 
country seats, and gardens scattered over the landscape, be- 
token the approach to some great seat of wealth and active 
industry. We enter by the quay of the Saone, are struck 
with the number of fine stone bridges spanning the river, and 
the great height of the houses along its rocky, precipitous 
sides, and finally succeeding, after a series of frantic attempts, 
in turning a very sharp corner into a very narrow street, by 
making the leaders almost turn into one of the houses oppo- 
site, we are drawn up at the Messagerie, i. e. stage-office — and 
discharged into a long, narrow room, where we are at hberty 
to pick out our baggage, and disperse to our respective 
hotels. 



WITH NEW EYES. 107 

Heights of Pourviferes— Birth-place of Claudius and Caligula. 



CHAPTER XI I. 



LYONS. 



Murray advises the traveller to scale the heights of Four- 
vieres the first thing after his arrival at Lyons, on account of 
the fine view it commands of the city and adjacent country. 
Accordingly, as soon as I had established myself at the Hotel 
du Pare, and sufficiently recovered from the fatigue of my 
journey, I sallied forth on the excursion. If the reader will 
accompany me, I will endeavor to give him a clear idea of the 
situation of the city of Lyons. 

We cross one of the many bridges which span the Saone, 
pass between the Palais de Justice (a handsome building faced 
with a colonnade of twenty-four pillars) and the Cathedral of 
St. Jean Baptiste, with its four massive towers, and commence 
the ascent of the heights, which rise from the banks of the 
river. The streets are steep, and narrow, and filthy, reeking 
with the most offensive odors. We pass behind the Hospital 
of Aiitiquailles, a clump of buildings assigned to the reception 
of six hundred patients of the worst description, such as are 
afflicted with madness, and incurable and loathsome diseases. 
It occupies the site of the Roman Palace^ in which the Em- 
perors Claudius and Caligula were born. Still up through 
narrow and zigzag lanes, steep as stairs in some places, past 
rows of shops displaying rosaries, and pictures, and medals, and 



108 O LD SI GHTS 



" Our Lady of Fourvi^res"— Roman A queduct— Observatory— View of Lyons. 

caudles, till we reach the church of Notre Dame de Fourvieres^ 
"our Lady of Fourvieres " upon the summit. 

This church is a small, gloomy building of stone, but a favor- 
ite resort of devout Romanists, on account of the wondrous 
miracle-working power supposed to reside in the figure of " our 
Lady " over the altar. The walls are covered with little pic- 
tures in frames, and medals, and crucifixes, and wax models of 
dificrent parts of the body, hung up as votive offerings by 
those who have experienced her miraculous aid. Over the 
entrance is an inscription stating that Lyons was preserved 
from the cholera during its last visitation by her intercession. 

The name Fourvieres is said to be a corruption of '■^ Forum 
vetus^'' i. e., "the ancient Forum," which was built by Trajan 
upon this spot. On these heights was the ancient Lyons, the 
Roman Lugdunum, founded b.c. 40. Here resided the Roman 
Emperors Augustus and Severus. Here still exist the traces of 
the vast aqueduct constructed by the soldiers of Mark Antony, 
when his legions were quartered here, to supply the town with 
water from the distant mountains of La Forez. It may still be 
traced for miles, crossing the valleys on arches. 

Near this church is a wooden tower, built for an observatory, 
the top of which is six hundred and thirty feet above the Saone. 
"We shall find a very civil attendant there with a large spy-glass 
to assist our vision. 

We look eastward. The city is spread out like a map before 
us. At our feet the suburbs of Fourvieres, through which we 
have just passed ; at our left, farther up the river, the suburbs 
of Vaise, through which you enter Lyons from Paris ; at our 
right, farther down the river, the suburbs of St. George, and 
behind us the suburbs of aS'^ Irenee. Across the Saone is the 
dense mass of buildings which constitutes the main part of the 



WITH NEW EYES. 109 

^ Rwnan Aatiquities— Church of the Abbey of Ainay. 

city, and beyond that the river Rhone, coming in from th-e 
north-east, and uniting with the Saone a short distance below. 
The greater part of the city is on the tongue of land between 
these two rivers, extending from the populous suburbs of La 
Croix Bousse on the north, the residence of the silk-wearers, 
to the quarter of P err ache ^ near the confluence. The names of 
the streets which run parallel with the two rivers are on hlach 
plates, those at right angles on yellow plates. On the farther 
side of the Rhone are the suburbs of Les Brotteaux and of 
(ruillotiere. Still farther east stretch fields, and plains, and 
hills, dotted over with country-seats, and in clear weather th« 
snowy peak of Mont Blanc may be seen at a distance of one 
hundred miles. More to the south are the Alps of Dauphine, 
the mountains of the Grande Chartreuse, and the Mont Pilas. 

Lyons abounds in Roman and Christian antiquities. It was 
the central point from which radiated Agrippa's four great 
roads, viz. to the Pyrenees, to the Rhine, to the Ocean, and to 
Marseilles. Remains of an amphitheatre have been brought 
to light on the hill of Fourvieres, and the Museum contains a 
*' Taurobole^'' or square altar, on which bulls were sacrificed in 
honor of Cybele ; the " Bronze Tables^'' on which is engraved 
the speech made by Claudius in the Roman Senate, on moving 
that the communities of this part of Gaul should be admitted 
to the privileges of Roman citizenship; several fine mosaic 
pavements, one representing the games of the circus^ and man^ 
other interesting relics. 

The Church of the Abbey of Ainay is a very remarkable 
monument both of Pagan and Christian antiquity. It is in the 
form of a cross, the centre of which is supported by four gra- 
nite columns. These columns are supposed to have belonged 
to the altar erected at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone 

6 



tW OLtJ SIGHTS 



Subterranean Dungeons— Christian Martyrs— Church of StV Ireneg. ^ 

(originally close to the cliurcli), by the sixty nations of GauT, 
in honor of the Emperor Augustus, who resided three years in 
Lyons. The representations of this altar on ancient medals 
have only two pillars, one on each side of the altar, and each 
supporting a statue of Victory ; but they were cut in two to 
form these four, as is shown by the measi^rement of the sec- 
tions. 

Beneath the sacristy of this church are the dungeons in 
t^hich Pothinus, bishop of Lyons, and Blandina, a converted 
slave, were immured during the persecution of Marcus Anto^ 
ninus, a.d. 1*77. Pothinus, who was ninety years of age, expired 
after two days* confinement. Blandina was scourged and 
exposed to the fire in an iron chair, and then delivered over to 
the beasts in the amphitheatre. These dungeons are most 
gloomy cells, without light or air, below the bed of the adjoin- 
ing river. You must creep upon hands and knees in order to 
enter them. 

Mosheim remarks in a note to his " History of Christianity 
in the first three centuries :" " Respecting this persecution of 
the Lyonese, without question the most celebrated ai;id in all pro- 
bability the most bloody and cruel that took place in any part of 
the Roman empire during the reign of Marcus, there is extant 
an excellent epistle from the church of Lyons to the brethren 
in Asia and Phrygia, which I should not conceive it possible 
for any one to read without emotion." 

The name of this church, Ainay, is supposed to be the same 
with the Latin Athenceum, and so called because built upon the 
site of the Athenaeum founded by Caligula, a school of debate 
and composition, in which pleaders competed for the prize. 

The Church of St. Irenee (in the suburb of that name, back 
of Fourvieres) is also an interesting spot. It is said to have 



WIl^HI^TEWEYES. Ill 



Massacre of Early Christians— " Reign of Terror "—Tlie Guillotine. 

been erected on the grave of the martyr Irenc^us, who suc- 
ceeded Pothinus in the episcopate. In the subterranean vaults 
beneath, Polycarp preached at the age of eighty-six. Here 
too the early Christians met for prayer, and were afterwards 
massacred by order of Septimius Severus, a.d. 202. In the 
midst of this crypt is a sort of well, down which the bodies of 
the Christians were thrown until it was overflowed with the 
blood of 9000 martyrs. 

In modern times also Lyons has been the scene of many acts 
of barbarous violence and bloodshed. Ko city in France suf- 
fered so severely under the "Reign of Terror" in 1793-4. 
The people of Lyons, roused to desperation by the tyranny and 
bloodthirsty cruelty of the club of Terrorists, had risen in 
arms against them, and tried and executed their President, the 
infamous Challier. The National Convention resolved to make 
them an example of its vengeance. Sixty thousand troops laid 
siege to the devoted city, and a shower of red-hot balls and 
shells was poured down upon it from the surrounding heights, 
till 30,000 persons had been destroyed, and the greater part of 
the buildings reduced to ruins. The stately houses of the 
Place Bellacour (one of the largest squares in Europe), which 
had escaped, were afterwards wantonly demolished under the 
direction of Couthon, who, borne in a htter from house to 
house, on account of illness, gave the signal for destruction by 
striking on the door with a little hammer, and repeating the 
words, "I condemn you to be demolished in the name of the 
law." The expense of merely pulling down houses amounted 
to £700,000 (13,500,000.) 

The guillotine was erected in the Place des Terreaux, and 
kept at work until the square became so flooded with human 
blood, that the Terrorist chiefs, fearing an outbreak of the 



112 O L B S 1 a H T s 



Barbarous CrueltjT. 



people, resolved on a more wholesale massacre. The prisoners 
were therefore conducted, sixty at a time, under the escort of 
soldiers, to a field in the suburb of Brotteaux, on the other side 
of the Rhone. With their hands tied behind their backs, they 
were fastened by- ropes to a cable "attached to a row of willows, 
and at the end of the line two cannons loaded with grape-shot 
were placed so as to enfilade the whole. At the first discharge 
few fell dead. A second and third directed against the poor 
wretches, mutilated and wounded a great number, but left the 
greater part still alive, rending the air with their agonizing 
shrieks ; so that the soldiers were obliged to finish their work 
with their swords, or the butt-end of their muskets. Some 
were found breathing twelve hours after, when their bodies were 
covered with quick-lime and thrown into a hole for burial. 
These heart-sickening massacres were repeated by the aid of 
grape-shot or musketry, fired by platoons of soldiers, until the 
number of victims amounted to 2100. Collot d'Herhois and 
Fouche looked on while these deeds were done ; and the 
former, when informed on one occasion that the band about to 
be led forth to death exceeded by two the number condemned, 
replied, " What matters it ? if they pass to-day, they will not 
pass to-morrow." 

Such outrages were perpetrated in the name of liberty t 
The Montague decreed that " Lyons should no longer exist ; '» 
that " even its name should be effaced," and that of " Com- 
mune Affranchie " substituted ; and that a column should be 
erected on its ruins, to bear these words : 



" Lyons made war against Liberty ; 
Lyons is no more ! " 



We can hardly wonder that with such memories to look 



WITH NEW EYES. 113 

Populace of Lyons— Silk Weavers— Fine Library. 

back upon, the populace of Lyons should be easily roused to 
acts of insurrection and violence. More than a thousand lives 
were destroyed in the riots of 1831 and 1834, and often since 
that time have its streets been wet with the blood of its citizens. 

Lyons has, however, outlived the malice of its enemies, and 
risen to more than its former prosperity. It is the second city 
in France, having, with its suburbs, a population of 200,000. 
Silk is the staple manufacture. It was first established here in 
1450 by the Italian refugees, and was nearly ruined by the 
Eevocation of the Edict of ]*^antes in 1685, which dispersed 
many of its best workmen. There are no huge factories. The 
master buys the raw material, and gives it out to be manufac- 
tured by the weavers, dyers, &c., at their own houses, by them- 
selves and families. There are over 30,000 silk looms in and 
about Lyons. The silk weavers are bodily and physically an 
inferior race. Half the young men of age for military service 
are exempted on account of weakness or deformity. There are 
also other manufactures of cotton, woollen, shawls, crape, gold 
and silver lace, hardware, &c. 

Lyons contains one of the finest libraries in France, amount- 
ing to nearly 100,000 volumes. It suffered greatly from the 
bombardment during the siege. The roof was beaten down ; 
large heaps of books covered with rubbish ; some carried to 
Paris, and others stolen. But, worst of all, the library was 
turned into a barrack ; the National Guard lighted their fires 
and boiled their coffee with the volumes, and one of the 
justices of the peace had a cart-load brought him every ten 
days for the same purpose. 



114 OLD SIGHTS 



Moonlight at Midnight— Steamer's Departure. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

LYONS TO AVIGNON AND NISMES. 

The porter aroused me from my sleep at two o'clock in tlie 
morning, and as soon as I was ready, put my luggage on a 
hand-cart and led the way to the steamer for Avignon. It 
was bright moonlight, and the shadows of the lofty build- 
ings fell in heavy masses across our path, till we emerged from 
the narrow streets and came out upon the broad quays on 
the left bank of the Saone. Here it seemed almost as light as 
day, yet not a sound broke the universal stillness save our own 
footsteps clattering over the stones. There is something to me 
very impressive in the aspect of a great city at the dead of 
night under the light of the full moon. When all is wrapped 
in darkness, the general silence and repose seem in harmony 
with the scene. But when broad light rests upon the houses, 
and the streets, and squares, and not a sign of human life 
appears, one is startled by the strange contrast. It seems as 
if some mighty spell of an enchanter's wand had fallen upon 
the city, as in fairy tale, and stricken every living thing into 
stone ! 

The steamer L'Ocean is lying at the quay d'Occident. Here 
are some faint indications of returning life. The smoke begins 
to curl lazily from the pipe, and forms of men are occasionally 
visible on deck. After a while the stragglers on their wav to 



WITH NE\Y EYES. 115 

Tr-avelliDg Ac-quaintances— The Rhone. 

the boat increase in number and activity. Piles of freight and 
baggage come pouring in; and after the usual amount of lift- 
ing, and dumping, and shoving, and hauling, and running to 
and fro, and jabbering and swearing, and ringing of bells, we 
are fairly adrift, and on our way down the river at four o'clock. 

The steamer is not exactly like what we love to call " the 
floating palaces " of our American lakes and rivers. It is long 
and narrow, dirty and disagreeabk, a good freight boat, but 
with very little provision for the accommodation of passengers. 
The cabin is very small, and the deck covered with rusty sheet 
iron, and unprovided with awnings, so that the reflection of the 
sun in a hot day is almost intolerable. 

"Are you English?^' inquired a gentleman standing by 
me, who with his companion had been scrutinizing me for 
some time. *^ JVon, Monsieur; Je suis un Americain,^'' I 
involuntarily replied, not consid-ering that an answer in the 
same langiiage with the inquiry would probably be intelligible; 
so strong was th^ habit of a few days during which I had not 
met with a person who could talk English. They were not a 
iittle amused at my replying in French, We soon were on the 
footing of old acquaintances, making our observations on the 
company and scenery, and comparing our ideas on innumera- 
ble points in literature, pohtics, and religion. I found them 
very agreeable companions. They were young Englishmen, 
fresh from the Medical School, on their way to Switzerland for 
a pedestrian tosir. 

We pass on our left tho junction of the Eh one, and glide 
i-apidiy down the broad stream, past many little villages with 
long avenues of willows and poplars, Givors on our right, dis- 
tinguished by the smoke of its glass-houses, and touch a few- 
moments at Vienne on our left. 



lis OLD SIGHTS 



Vienne— Pontius Pilate. 



ViENNE is a town of 11,000 inhabitants, at tlie mouth of 
the Gere, a tributary of the Rhone. It is one of the most 
ancient towns in France, having been a flourishing place before 
Lyons is known to have existed. It is mentioned by Cgesar, 
by Ansonius, and hj Martiah Many remains of its Romao 
possessors are still to be seen; such as a temple, an amphithea- 
tre, an obelisk seventy-six feet high, outside the walls, water- 
conduits, fragments of sculpture, &c. It is also interesting as 
connected with the earliest introduction of Christianity into 
the "West of Europe. There is an authentic epistle of the 
second century from the churches of Yienne and Lyons to 
their brethren in Asia and Phrygia. In the fifth century it 
was the capital of the first kingdom of Burgundy, and after- 
wards the capital and residence of the Dauphins. Here was 
held in 130 '7 the celebrated Ecclesiastical Council which con- 
demned the order of the Templars* 

Several times in the course of my travels I have been 
struck with the forcible impression made by the history of 
Pontius Pilate upon the popular mind in various countries, as. 
shown m local superstitions. Here,, for instance, is a ruined 
castle upon the top of Mount Salomon, back of Vienne, which 
passes with the common people for the prison of Pilate, who,, 
according to Eusebius, was banished to this place after his 
return from Judea to Rome. On the opposite side of the river 
is an old square tower, sometimes called " Tour de Mauconseily" 
i. e. " The Tower of Evil Counsel,^' from a tradition that Pilate 
ended his days by throwing himself ofi" the rock. On the 
same side is a lofty ridge which bears the name "^ Mount Pilate," 
and several miles below is the " Chateau de Ponsas," or " Castle 
of Pontius," situated upon a high rock which is commonly 
supposed to have been the scene of the same tragedy. Mount 



WITH NEW EYES. 117 

Vineyards— Valence— Scenery. 

Pilate, near Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland, also derives its name 
from a similar tradition, that Pilate, after lie was banished by 
Tiberius, wandered about among the mountains, stricken by 
conscience, until he ended his miserable existence by throwing 
himself into a lake on the top of the mountain. The storms 
which gather around its summit are attributed to the Unquiet 
spirit still hovering around the sunken body. 

We pass a great many vineyards, often planted on terraces 
carried to the tops of the hills. Where the soil is favorable, 
and there is a southern exposure, the vintage is of a superior 
quality. The vineyard of L'Hermitage is celebrated all over 
the world. Such is its body that it is sent to Bordeaux to be 
mixed with clarets to fit them for exportation. That of St. 
Peray is also famous. 

We pass Tournon on our right, with its picturesque towers, 
the valley of the Isere opens on our left, affording a fine view 
of the Alps of Dauphine, beyond which may be seen in a clear 
day the snowy peaks of Mount Blanc, seventy or eighty miles 
distant ; we shoot by the town and citadel of Valence, and 
come to our moorings below the wire Suspension Bridge, one 
of the handsomest on the Rhone, where we stop half an hour. 
Some of the scenery below Valence is very fine. The lime- 
stone cliflfs rise precipitously from the water's edge, in some 
places pierced with hollow caverns at the base, in others assum- 
ing an endless variety of fantastic forms as viewed from differ- 
ent points, and often crowned with the ruins of some romantic 
old castle. Indeed the whole scenery of the Rhone is much 
finer than I had anticipated. It will not suffer in comparison 
with its more celebrated rival, the Rhine. 

Below Viviers the river expands, and its current is divided 
by numerous willowy islands. We are obliged frequently to 

6* 



118 OLD SIGHTB 



Longest Stone Bridge in the world— AvignoiiT-Palace of the Popes. 

Stop and proceed with great caution lest we run aground. At 
JPont St. Esprit is the longest stone bridge in the world. It is 
2*717 feet in length, resting on twenty-six arches, and was 
built by a brotherhood of monks in 1310. The lofty spires 
and towers, and the machicolated battlements of the ancient 
city of the Popes, now rise to view on our left, and at about 
half-past three in the afternoon, having sailed one hundred and 
thirty-five miles from Lyons, we are moored at 

AVIGNON* 

I'he seat of the Popedom was transferred from Rome to 
Avignon in 1305 by Clement V., a Frenchman, chosen Pope 
through the influence of Philip the Fair, king of France, who 
wished to have the Pontifical court more under his control. 
Here it continued seventy years, a period which the Italians 
call " the Babylonian captivity.^'' Seven successive Popes held 
their luxurious and profligate court within this palace. Here 
Petrarch was a guest. Giotto and his scholars adorned its 
walls with frescoes. In its dungeons Rienzi was a prisoner. 
During this time its population increased to 80,000, and it was 
greatly embellished with buildings. So completely ecclesias- 
tical did it become, that it contained eight chapters, thirty-five 
convents, teli hospitals, seven fraternities, three seminaries, a 
university, and sixty churches ; one-third of its population 
were dedicated to the church, and it had between two hundred 
and three hundred towers and spires ! 

As soon as we had extricated ourselves from the hands of 
the porters, and reached the hotel upon the heights through 
clouds of dust, I took a guide and hurried off" to the ancient 
Palace of the Popes. It is now used for a barrack and 



WITH iiTEW EYES. 11^ 

Great Hall— Inquisition— Chamber of Torture. 

prison. But although it has undergone some alterations to 
adapt it to its present uses, it still retains enough of its ancient 
grandeur to impress the beholder. Its walls are of solid ma- 
sonry one hundred feet high, and some of its towers one hun- 
dred and fifty. Over the entrance to the court-yard, originally 
defended by dralvbridges, portcullis, and iron gates, is the 
balcony from which the Pope^ bestowed their benediction upon 
the people. 

I passed up the wide stone staircase on the right to what 
was once the Grand Salle, or Great Hall of the Palace, where 
the Papal court was held, and public entertainments were 
given. It is now divided into three stories for soldiers' dormi- 
tories. The vaulted ceiling and the capitals of the lofty pillars 
are not visible until you reach the third story. Strangely do 
the soldiers' cribs and accoutrements contrast with the associa- 
tions of the place! In 1441 this hall was blown Up with the 
assembled guests, consisting of the nobles of Avignon, by 
order of Pierre de Lude, the Papal legate, in revenge for the 
murder of his nephew. Ever since it has borne the name of 
Salle Brulee, i. e. " the Burnt Hall." 

Next I visited the chamber occupied by the Inquisition, 
which was established here in the thirteenth century. It is on 
the opposite side of the building. Near by is the Chapel of 
the Holy Office, vaulted and groined, with some traces of the 
frescoes with which its walls were decorated by Giotto in 
1324-2'7. Here the Jews in Avignon were assembled at stated 
times to hear a sermon designed to promote their conversion to 

Christianity. 

Adjoining is the Salle de la Question, or Chamber of Tor- 
ture, with funnel-shaped walls contracting upwards, in order to 
stifle the cries of the miserable victims. In the thickness of 



120 OLD SIGHTS 



The €rlaciere— The Cathedral, 



the wall in one corner are the remains of a furnace for heating 
torturing irons ; and near it the holes to which was attached 
the instrument called La Veille^ i. e. " The Vigil," — a pointed 
stake upon which the condemned was seated^ and suspended 
By cords from above, so as only to prevent his falling, but 
allowing his whole weight to bear upon the point. 

Close to the Tower of the Inquisition is the tower called the 
Glaciere (from an ice-house in a garden near by). You look 
through a door in the side of the wall into a deep abyss, near 
the bottom of which are several long black stains, said to be 
streaks of human blood. Here was perpetrated one of the 
most horrible atrocities of the French Revolution. In 1'791, 
sixty unfortunate persons, male and female, imprisoned for 
their political sentiments, were dragged from their cells by a 
savage band of Democrats, and stabbed one by one at this 
door, and then hurled down dead and alive into the depths 
below ; and then, to finish the work, quick-lime in large quan- 
tities was thrown down over them upon the mangled heap of 
dead and dying. 

In the narrow passage which leads to this part of the castle, 
the marks of the shot still indent the walls where some of the 
bloody Jourdan's prisoners were ranged in line, and despatched 
by grape-shot from a cannon at the gate. 

Opposite the Papal palace is a large building ornamented in 
front with garlands carved in stone, which was formerly the 
Papal Mint. 

The Cathedral, upon the summit of the rock, approached 
by a long flight of steps, retains some vestiges of its ancient 
magnificence— the monumental tombs of Pope John XXII. 
and Benedict XII., and the Papal throne, with the winged bull 
of St. Luke and the lion of St. Mark. Here Petrarch first 



WITH NEW EYES. 121 

Vaucluse— Beaucaire. 

saw Laura kneeling at mass, and fell in love with her foot 
peeping out from under her dress before he had seen her face. 

Vaucluse^ which has been made classic gi'ound by the muse 
of Petrarch, is a wild valley completely shut in by the moun- 
tains (whence its name " vallis clausa'^), through which rolls 
the Jorgues over its stony bed, about eighteen miles east of 
Avignon. 

From Avignon by rail to Tarascon, with its massive castle 
built by Henri II. in 1400, crossing the Rhone on a wire 
bridge 1446 feet long, to JBeaucaire, a town of about 10,000 
inhabitants, at the mouth of the Canal de Beaucaire, which 
connects with the Canal du Midi that joins the Garonne at 
Toulouse, and thus unites with the Mediterranean and the 
Atlantic. The town lies at the base of cliffs of bare rocks, one 
of which is surmounted by the ruins of a castle, once the 
stronghold of the Counts of Toulouse. On the wide space 
between the castle rock and the Rhone, an annual Fair is held 
from July 1st to the 28th, which is attended by 100,000 per- 
sons, and attracts merchants from all parts of France, Spain, 
Portugal, and even Barbary. 

From Beaucaire by omnibus and rail to Nismes, where I 
arrived at 9 p.m., much fatigued with my day's journey from 
Lyons. 



122 L B s 1 a H T s 



Antiquities of Nismes— Half Protestant--^Roman Amphitheatre* 



CHAPTEU XIV. 

i^'ISMES AND ARLES TO MARSEILLES,. 

On my arrival at Nismes, I had hardly set foot within the 
Hotel du Luxembourg, before I was accosted by a guide, who 
proffered his services to show me " the antiquities." I engaged 
him to attend me at six the next morning. After supper, as it 
was a beautiful moonlight evening, I strolled about the town 
to gain some general idea of its appearance. 

Nismes is a thriving manufacturing town of 45,000 inhabit- 
ants, capital of the Department du Gard. The old town con- 
sists of narrow, intricate streets and houses, but this is encircled 
by a fine broad street, or boulevard^ planted with trees and 
lined with handsome buildings, which separates it from the 
more modern part. A large part of the population, perhaps 
one-third (I was told one-half), is Protestant, and so complete 
is the separation between the two parties, that they frequent 
different cafes. Although Nismes has received comparatively 
little notice from travellers, it is richer in well-preserved anti- 
quities than any town in France, or Northern Europe. 

At six o'clock the next morning I commenced the tour of 
*" the antiquities." The first object of interest is the Amphi- 
theatre. This made a great impression on my mind. I 
wondered that more had not been said about it. It is a colos- 
sal pile, and far better preserved externally than the Coliseum 



WlTHiTEWEYES. 123 

Fortress of the Middle Ages— View from the Top. 

at Rome. In form it is a perfect oval, and has two stories of 
sixty arcades eachj the arches of the first story serving as so 
many doors. The walls are seventy feet high, the length four 
hundred and thirty-seven feet, width three hundred and thirty- 
two. It had originally thirty-two roWs of seats, and furnished 
room for more than 20,000 spectators. Each story has a cor- 
ridor or portico encircling the whole building, which served foi' 
a lobby to the interior. Into this lead numerous passages, 
radiating from the centre, and widening outwards to facilitate 
the egress of the crowd. The rows of« seats were divided into 
four tiers by spaces wider than the seats, for the different ranks 
of spectators, the^ patricians on the lower more central seatSj 
and the plebeians above. In some places you can see the lines 
marked upon the seats to indicate the space allotted to each 
individual. Upon the outer rim of the wall at the top, are 
projecting stones with round holes cut in them, corresponding 
with hollows in the exterior cornice below, into which the 
poles were put to fasten the awnings stretched over the spec- 
tators. A very narrow stair in the thickness of the wall to the 
top was evidently intended for the men who had charge of the 
awning. Some of the stones in this large structure are eighteen 
feet long, put together without any cement, yet so perfectly- 
fitted, that when they have been slightly separated by some 
mighty convulsion, you can see clear through the seam. 

During the middle ages it was converted into a fortress by 
the Visigoths. The Saracens occupied it in the eighth century, 
until Charles Martel expelled them and endeavored to destroy 
the structure by filling its vaults and passages with wood and 
setting fire to it. It still bears the marks of the fire. Some 
of the stones were cracked by it. 

From the top you have a fine view of the town and sUr- 



124 OLD SIGHTS 



Roman Power— Maison Cairee. 



rounding country* There is a striking contrast between the 
busy aspect of the streets below on the one hand, and the 
silent, grass'grown seats of the amphitheatre on the other. It 
was my first introduction to the monuments of Roman powen 
Long I stood and gazed upon that empty arena, till it seemed 
again filled with the struggling forms of gladiators and wild 
beasts, and those streets thronged with a multitude of admiring 
spectators. Nearly two thousand years have passed away, yet 
notwithstanding all the ravages of time, and the violence of 
more worthless barbarians, the amphitheatre still rears its mas- 
sive walls, as if in proud contempt of the puny edifices of 
modern time. It will yet outlive whole generations of them. 

The Maison Carree, as it is commonly called, is another of 
the most interesting antiquities of Nismes. This is a beauti- 
ful Corinthian temple of admirable proportions and exquisite 
workmanship. It has been put to a variety of uses. Origin- 
ally a Koman temple, consecrated in the reign of Augustus or 
Antoninus, afterwards a Christian church, in the eleventh cen- 
tury a town-hall, later still occupied as a stable, when its owner 
built walls between the pillars of the portico to make more 
room, and pared away the flutings of the central columns to 
allow his carts to pass in ; after that attached to the Augustine 
convent, and used as a tomb-house for burial; next for a 
revolutionary tribunal, and finally converted into a Museum. 

It is surrounded by thirty Corinthian columns, ten of which 
are detached and form the portico. The Museum contains a 
collection of antiquities and a number of very ordinary pictures. 
One of them, however, by Paul Delaroche, is a very fine one — ■ 
viz., Cromwell opening the coffin of Charles I. The face of the 
dead man, calm and passionless, is in striking contrast with the 
countenance of the living, thoughtful and sorrowful, not with- 



WITH NEW EYES. 125 

Fountain of the Nymphs— La Tourmagne— Roman Gates. 

out compunctious visitings as he gazes upon the victim of his 
stern policy. 

The public garden contains many other interesting relics of 
antiquity. Here is the Fountain of the Nymphs, a copious 
spring of water which bursts out of the foot of a hill, and is 
received into a large stone reservoir, originally a Roman bath 
for women. It is surrounded by a colonnade below the level 
of the ground, and the water is conducted thence through a 
canal bordered with a stone balustrade. On one side of it is a 
ruined Roman building, supposed to have been a fane dedi- 
cated to the Nymphs, and connected with the neighboring 
baths. Some inscriptions prove this and the baths to have 
been built by Augustus. The ancient aqueduct of the Pont 
du Gard terminated near this fountain. 

The hill which rises behind the fountain is planted with trees, 
and laid out in zigzag walks conducting to the summit. Here 
is another ancient monument called La Tourmagne^ a dis- 
mantled tomb of rough stone, of a conical shape, and hollow 
within. A staircase conducts to the top, which commands a 
fine view of the surrounding country. 

Two of the original Roman gates still exist, the " Gate of 
Augustus," founded b.c. IC, consisting of a double arch with 
two side doors for foot-passengers, flanked by two towers ; and 
the *' Gate of France." 

Nismes is the birth-place of Nicot^ a physician who first 
introduced fr-om Portugal to France tobacco^ called after him 
JVicotiana ; also of M. Guizot, ex-Minister of France. 

Returning to the hotel and breakfasting, I proceeded to 
Aries by rail, retracing the route of the preceding day as far 
as Tarascon, and then taking the Avignon and Marseilles rail- 
way to 



126 OLD SIGHTS 



"The Rome of G-aul"— Amphitheatre. 



Arles, 

where I arrived about noon, and stopped at the Hotel du Forum. 
Took a guide and began tlie tour of " the antiquities." 

Aries, on the left bank of the Rhone, near the apex of its 
delta, about twenty-eight miles from the sea, was once the 
most important city in France, " the Rome of Gaul^'' as Auso- 
nius calls it. It is said to have been a Grecian colony, and has 
always been celebrated for the beauty of its women. The 
Grecian profile is certainly very noticeable even in the women 
you meet in the streets. The population of the town is now 
less than 20,000, and its richest treasures are the remains of its 
ancient greatness. 

The Amphitheatre is larger than that of Nismes, though 
not in as good a state of preservation. Its dimensions are 
four hundred and fifty-nine feet in length, three hundred and 
thirty-eight in width, with five corridors, and forty-three rows 
of seats, capable of holding 25,000 spectators. There are 
sixty arches in each story, the lower Doric, and the upper 
Corinthian, of massive construction, formed of enormous blocks 
of stone very exactly fitted together. On the top are two 
square towers remaining of four originally built by the Sara- 
cens, in the eighth century. A range of vaulted chambers 
opening into the arena is supposed to have contained the 
dens of the wild beasts, from which they rushed forth to engage 
in the gladiatorial contests. In order to explain the use of this 
part of the structure in as graphic a manner as possible, my 
guide retreated into these dark caverns through the low 
arched orifice, and then issued forth on all-fours, growling and 
shaking his head in a very spirited style. The parapet 
inclosing the arena is more perfect than that of Nismes. It 



WITH NEW EYES. 127 

Roman Theatre— Obelisk— Museum— Cathedral. 

is faced with marble slabs, witliout any cement, yet so nicely 
fitted together as to hold water, with which the arena was 
flooded for representations of nautical combats. 

The Roman Theatre, in another part of the town, is only a 
fragment of the original building, but the costly marbles, co- 
lumns, sculptured friezes, and statues found in it, attest its ancient 
magnificence. One of the statues found here now adorns the 
Gallery of the Louvre in Paris, called " the Venus of Aries." 

Two Corinthian columns, surmounted by part of their enta- 
blature, alone remain. They formed part of a row of pillars 
in front of the stage. Opposite is the semicircular space for 
the audience, scooped out of the rock, and still retaining some 
of its stone seats rising one above the other. Near the 
theatre is a very beautiful Doric gateway, or Arch, richly 
sculptured. 

In the middle of an open square called the Place Royale, 
is a curious-looking Obelisk, of a single shaft of granite, 
forty-seven feet high, which was found in the Rhone, and 
raised to its present position in 1676. It is supported on 
four lions, and surmounted by a gilt sun, with eyes, cheeks, 
and mouth. 

The Museum, in the suppressed church of St. Anne, is filled 
with an interesting collection of ancient remains, such as mar- 
ble friezes and statues, an altar to Apollo, having representa- 
tions of the Delphic Tripod, and Marsyas flayed alive, a leaden 
pipe stamped with the name of the Roman plumber, &c., &c. 

On the same square is the Cathedral of St. Trophimus, 
who is said to have been a disciple of Paul, and to have first 
planted the cross here. It has a curious projecting porch, 
adorned with statues of apostles and saints, and representa- 
tions of scriptural subjects. Over the door is the Saviour as 



128 OLD SIGHTS 

Aliscamps— The Crau. 

judge of the world, beneath him the twelve apostles, on the 
right side the good, and on the left the bad, bound by a rope, 
and dragged by devils. There are also some curious cloisters 
on the south side. 

Opposite the Hotel du Forum are two granite pillars, and 
part of a Corinthian pediment, the fragments of some ancient 
building now built in within the wall of the Hotel du Nord. 

Beyond the walls, to the east of the town, is the ancient 
cemetery of Aries, still called Aliscamps, a slight variation of 
the original name, "Elisii Campi" ("Elysian Fields"), by which 
it was known eighteen centuries ago. It was of vast extent, 
and the dead were brought hither from other cities as far 
distant as Lyons. One portion was used for burials in Pagan 
times ; and another, marked off with crosses, was afterwards 
designated for the interment of Christians. The ground teems 
with gravestones, sepulchral memorials, and sarcophagi ; but 
the most interesting specimens have been removed to the 
Museums of Aries, Toulouse, Marseilles, &c. In the neighbor- 
ing farms the cattle drink out of stone troughs, which are 
nothing but empty coffins^ and with their lids the ditches are 
bridged ! 

From Aries I proceeded by rail to Marseilles. The road 
traverses the Crau, a singular stony plain, extending south to 
the Mediterranean, covered all over with rolled boulders and 
pebbles, which must have been deposited here by the Rhone 
and its tributaries at some time when the face of the country 
was different from what it now is. This stony plain was well 
known to the ancients. It is described by Strabo, Phny, Mela ; 
and ^schylus makes it the scene of the combat between 
Hercules and the Ligurians, when the son of Jove, having 
exhausted his arrows, was supplied with artillery from heaven 



WITH NEW EYES. 129 

The Mediterranean. 

by a discharge of stones from the ,sky, sent by Jupiter. An 
ancient writer wittily remarks, that the assistance of Jupiter 
would have been more effectual had he showered down the 
stones at once on the heads of the Ligurians. The soil is 
thin, and the vegetation scanty, but it affords good pasturage 
to sheep, which are driven here from the French Alps to 
spend the summer. A few miles before we reach the end of 
our journey the blue waters of the Mediterranean open to 
view, awakening a host of classic associations in the mind of 
one who sees them for the first time. At V^ we arrived at 
the railway terminus in Marseilles, and in the midst of a 
thunder-shower were rattled away in the omnibus to the 
" Hotel des EmpereurS)" in the Rue Cannabiere. 



130 OLDSIGHT 



Antiquity of Marseilles. 



C HAPTER XV 



MARSEILLES TO NICE* 



Marseilles, the ancient " Massilia,^^ is a city of great anti- 
quity. It was founded e.g. 578 by a colony of Phocseans, who 
left their native country in Asia Minor to avoid submission to 
Cyrus, and settled on the barbarous shores of Gaul. The intel- 
ligence and enterprise of the colonists, aided by the local 
advantages of their situation, soon made Marseilles a place of 
great commercial importance, and eminent also in the arts and 
literature. Cicero says, that Greece alone could compete with 
Marseilles as a seat of learning. Tacitus calls her " mistress of 
studies." In the civil wars between Caesar and Pompey, Mar- 
seilles was besieged and taken by Caesar's fleet of galleys under 
the command of D. Brutus. Csesar writes that he preserved it 
" more for its name and antiquity than for its merit." In the 
middle ages also Marseilles was a place of great importance* 
She furnished all the galleys required by St. Louis to transport 
his army on the crusade. 

Marseilles is still a flourishing city, being the chief port of 
France on the Mediterranean, and the steam-packet station for 
Italy, the Peninsula, and the East. Its population is about 
180,000. At the present time, however, it contains few 
remains of its antiquity or any other objects of much interest 
to strangers. The entrance on the north is by an Arch of 



WITH KEW EYES. 181 

Modern Prosperity— The Quays— "Visas" for Italy. 

TriumpL, originally intended to commemorate the campaign 
of the French in Spain, but now dedicated " To all the glories 
of France" From this arch a fine broad street called the 
" Corn's " stretches entirely across the town to the " Gate of 
Rome." Near the centre' of it another wide street, Rue de la 
Cannabiere, strikes off from it at right angles down to the har- 
bor, a natural oblong basin extending into the heart of the 
town, and capable of holding near 2,000 vessels. When I visit- 
ed it, a new harbor was in the course of construction to furnish 
additional accommodations. The connection of France with. 
Algiers has given a great impetus to its commercial prosperity. 
The mouth of the harbor is narrow, and defended by two 
forts ; the old Castle and Tower of St. Jean on the north, and 
Fort St. Mcholas on the south. 

The quays present a lively appearance, crowded with vessels 
and merchandise, and sailors of all nations, in their various 
costumes, Moorish, Greek, Turkish, JSTeapolitan, &c. ; but they 
are disgustingly filthy, and abound in scenes of disturbance 
and profligacy. I shall never forget the appearance of two 
women in a passion, the centre of a ring of spectators. The 
combatants stood each with one arm a-kimbo, and the other 
thrust derisively into her antagonist's face, inflicting no blows, 
but making the most wrathful gestures, and pouring forth 
in screams and yells torrents of abusive language, that seemed 
fairly to boil over red hot from the fiery caldron within. 

At Marseilles it becomes necessary for one travelling to Italy 
to obtain the " visas " of those consuls whose countries he shall 
enter. The customary fees are — for the American, twelve and 
a half francs ; Sardinian, five ; Papal, four ; Neapolitan, five ; 
Tuscan, two ; Prefect, two ; in all twenty-nine and a half 
francs, — no small item in one's travelling expenses. I intended 



132 OLD SIGHTS 



' Bastides "—Aix— Resort of the Troubadoura, 



to go by the steamer ; but, on inquiry, I found that there was 
a quarantine of four to six days at Genoa, and therefore 
changed my plans, and took place in the diligence for Nice. 

We left Marseilles at 6 a.m., immediately commencing a 
long and toilsome ascent, up which We trudged on foot for the 
most part, to relieve the horses of their heavy load. From 
the heights we had a fine view of the city and surrounding 
country, sprinkled with countless ''^Bastides^^ as the country 
houses of the citizens are called, and the blue waters of the 
Mediterranean beyond. After a dull and dusty ride of two or 
three hours, we arrived at Aix, where we stopped half an hour 
for breakfast. 

Aix, the '■''Aquce Sext'm " of the Romans, was founded by a 
Roman colony sent hither to defend the Phocsean colonists of 
Marseilles. Its warm mineral waters led to the selection of 
this spot, and gave the colony its name. 

In the days of chivalry, Aix was the capital of Provence, the 
resort of the Troubadours, the theatre of the courts of love and 
of gay fetes and tournaments, the seat of art and literature. 
The old town still retains in part its feudal walls and gates. 
The modern part consists mainly of a broad street by which 
you enter, lined with handsome buildings, including several 
hotels, and ornamented with three fountains, one of which 
bears a statue of " the Good King " Rene, holding a bunch of 
Muscat grapes, which he introduced into France. The Hotel de 
Ville contains a pubHc library of 100,000 volumes. The present 
number of inhabitants is about 22,000. The vicinity abounds 
in almond groves and plantations of olives, and the sweet oil 
of Aix is said to be the best produced in France. 

From Aix we ride along under the precipitous heights of the 
Mont St. Victoire, near the spot where Marius is supposed to 



WITH NEW EYES. 13S 

The "Putrid Fields"— ** Man In the Iron Mask"— Cannes to Nice. 

have defeated tlie Cimbri, b.c. 125, and taken or slain 100,000 
of the barbarians. The battle-field on the banks of the Arc 
was long known as the " Campi Putridi," or the " Putrid 
Fields." We pass through St. Maximin, Tourves, Brignolles, 
famous for its 2^f'uiies, and stop at Le Luc, a dirty little village, 
for dinner. 

"We continued our journey through Vidauban, Frejus, the 
once celebrated " Forum Julii," founded by Csesar, and crossing 
the Estrelle mountains in the night, early in the morning 
arrived at Cannes, a small town beautifully situated on a bay 
of the sea. Here we stopped long enough to stroll along the 
shore, and take a look at the Isle St. Marguerite, about two 
and a half miles distant, where was the prison of the myste- 
rious "Man in the Iron Mash^ About half a mile east of 
Cannes is the place where Napoleon landed from Elba, in 
March, 1815. Half a mile distant is the Villa Louise Eleanore, 
built by Lord Brougham. Several other English visitors have 
houses here. 

The ride from Cannes to Nice is through a delightful coun- 
try, so sheltered by the mountains on the north, and open to 
the warm breezes of the south, as to bear the productions of 
tropical climes. You see the aloe, and cactus, and palm flou- 
rishing in the open air, and the beautiful foliage of the cork- 
tree, the arbutus, the evergreen oak, and the graceful umbrella 
pine. The river Var, a wild, turbulent stream, rolling furiously 
over its stony bed, separates France from the Sardinian States. 
We were detained awhile at the French custom-house on one 
side, some time longer at the Sardinian on the other side, and 
after a short ride farther, arrived at Nice about 10 a.m. 

Nice (Ital. Nizza) is a town of about 30,000 inhabitants, 
beautifully situated on a crescent-shaped beach opening on the 

7 



184 OLD SIGHl^S 



Ruins of an old Castle— Beautiful Country— Resort of Invalids. 



Mediterranean, with long points of land running out at 
each horn of the crescent, and the Piedmontese Alps in the 
background. The torrent Paglione runs through the western 
part, and is crossed by several bridges, although the bed of the 
stream is almost dry in the summer time. East of the town is 
a rocky eminence, on which are the picturesque ruins of an old 
castle, which held out against the combined attack of the 
French and Turks in 1543, It is said that the Turks were 
repulsed by the prowess of a female warrior. The Janissaries 
had planted the crescent upon the ramparts, when a woman, 
the wife of a poor citizen, one Catherine Segurana, rallied the 
flying garrison, and cutting down the standard-bearer with a 
hatchet, she waved the standard. The Nizzards regained their 
courage, and drove back the Janissaries in the greatest confu- 
sion. The inhabitants afterwards raised a bust to her honor, 
with an inscription commemorating her exploit. In 1706 the 
castle was blown up by the Duke of Berwick, under the direc- 
tion of Louis XIV. The site is now laid out in walks, and 
planted with trees and shrubbery for a public resort. A wind- 
ing path leads to the summit, from which there is a fine view 
of the buildings of the town, the valley of the river, the 
Alps beyond, and in front the wide expanse of the Mediter- 
ranean., across which the mountains of Corsica may be seen 
with the naked eye. 

The country about Nice is exceedingly beautiful. It is 
celebrated for the variety and beauty of its .flowers. The 
gardens are skirted by hedges of geraniums and verbenas, as 
large ^s our lilac bushes, and full of fig, and orange, and lemon 
trees. The air is laden with the rich perfume of the orange 
blossoms. On account of the salubrity of its air and its other 
attractions, Nice has long been a favorite resort of invalids 



WITH NEW EYES. 135 

Churches— High Mass. 

especially the English, who come here to spend the winter sea^ 
son. It has, therefore, the usual concomitants of a large 
watering-place. The modern part is laid out in wide streets, 
and squares, and terraces by the sea-side, and has several 
immense hotels for visitors. As I was there in June, which 
was " out of season," I found the hotels almost deserted, and it 
was easy to obtain good accommodations at a moderate price. 

The churches are generally among the principal objects of 
interest to the traveller upon the Continent. They are open to 
visitors at all times, and serve as repositories of the taste, and 
skill, and wealth of the inhabitants for many generations. In 
those of Nice, however, I found nothing particularly worthy of 
notice. They contain the usual quantity of paintings, marble 
figures, silver hearts and images, the offerings of the devout. 
Some of the pictures were glowing representations of persons 
in the flames of purgatory, writhing in agony, and with labels 
from their mouths, beseeching their relatives and friends to 
have pity on them, and without delay contribute the necessary 
vsum for their deliverance ! 

One of the churches, which I visited early Sunday morning, 
was filled with a regiment of Sardinian Infantry in full uniform, 
attending high mass. The band played a very sweet accom- 
paniment to the service, and the soldiers went through with 
the customary formalities, such as lowering their arms, cross- 
ing themselves, kneeling, &c., with great apparent devotion, 
but the oflScers, who stood in a group by themselves, were 
chatting and laughing all the time, as if the performance was 
a mere farce. 

In the afternoon a long procession of priests, and monks 
and nuns, and boys and girls, some in black, and some in 
white, and some in red, and some in all sorts of colors, tricked 



186 OLD SICH'TS 



Procession. 



out with ribbons and streamers, and carrying banners, and 
canopies, and images, chanting and singing, and firing crackers, 
and ringing bells, roamed through the principal streets of the 
city, which were lined with admiring spectators. To a super- 
ficial observer it was a gay and animating scene. But when 
viewed in its religious bearings, it was like the sight of roses 
upon a sepulchre, or of the garlands which deck the uncon- 
scious victim on its way to the altar of sacrifice. Here, alas ! 
there is no Sabbath. Religion has no life, no power. The 
face of nature is beautiful, the sky is fair, and the external 
.appearance of everything is bright and joyous. But the 
moral aspect is dark and desolate. All seem to be living 
"without God in the -world." To enjoy life for the present, 
and keep death out of mind, seems to be the highest aim of 
most of the inhabitants. 



WITH NEW EYES. 137 

The "Riviera"— "Aurelian Way." 



CHAPTER XVI. 



KICE TO GENOA. 



This is said to be the most beautiful ride in Italy. It com- 
prises all that is lovely and sublime in natural scenery, and 
all that is romantic and venerable in historical associations. 
It passes through what is called the "Riviera di ponente," i.e., 
" the shore of the west " — or more briefly, " the Riviera," a 
district of six or seven miles in width between the mountains 
and the sea, or running up the mountain slope, so completely 
sheltered from the cold winds of the north and open to the 
genial influences of the south, as to enjoy a temperature capa- 
ble of bearing many of the productions of tropical climes. 
Here flourishes the American aloe, which has now become 
naturalized so as to grow by the road side, sometimes to the 
height of twenty feet ; the prickly pear, the pomegranate, the 
palm of the East. The palm was introduced and cultivated for 
the purpose of supplying branches to be used in the ceremonies 
of' the Romish festival, Pahn Sunday. Groves of olives clothe 
the sides of the mountains. The gardens abound in orange, 
and lemon, and fig trees, and the road is often lined with rho- 
dodendrons and oleanders. The road now winds up the sides 
of the mountains, affording magnificent views of the country 
and sea, and now descends and runs along the strips of plain 
at their feet, and sometimes on the very margin of the sea. 



138 OLD SIGHTS 



Travelling Companions— Fine Views. 



It is on the line of the Roman Aurelian Way, some re- 
mains of which may occasionally be seen. 

On a fine morning about the middle of June we took our 
seats in the dihgence, to enjoy the beautiful ride — a company 
of five, besides the conductor and postilion — viz. two young 
Englishmen, travelling for health and pleasure, just from a visit 
to Madeira, two young Americans, one fresh from a year's tour 
in Spain and Morocco, and a grave but polite Austrian stu- 
dent. We were in fine spirits, disposed to enjoy everything, 
and determined to let nothing escape us that was vvorth seeing. 

Immediately after leaving Nice, we commenced the ascent 
of the mountain, which presented us with a constant succession 
of the finest views in every direction. We look back upon 
Nice with its clustered buildings, its bridges, its gardens, 
saluting us with their distant fragrance borne on the southern 
breezes, its crescent beach and the sea beyond. We follow 
the valley in which Nice lies, along its well-cultivated sides, 
trace the Turin road nearly parallel with our own, until the 
eye rests upon the blue mountains terminating the vista, with 
here and there a snowy peak glittering in the sun. Around us 
are hills, and knolls, and rocks, and mountains, of every shape 
and size. The view from the top of the ascent, where the road 
passes under the fortress of Montalbano, is very fine. To the west, 
the great bay of the Mediterranean as far as Antibes and the 
coast of France far beyond ; to the east, Villafranca, the Riviera, 
headlands, bays, towns, and towers, in endless perspective. 

Here properly begins the district of the Riviera. We pass 
Esa, boldly situated upon a rock a little off the high road, 
which was built as a city of refuge from the corsairs. A huge 
mass of solid ruin, towering above all surrounding objects, 
attracts our attention at a distance, long before we have 



WITH NEW EYES. 139 

Trophaea Augusti— Prince of Monaco. 

reached it. It stands in the midst of the little village of Tur- 
bia, and has served for a quarry out of which the church and 
many of the houses have been built. This ruin is the nucleus 
of the celebrated Trophy a. Augusti, built to commemorate 
the victories of Augustus over the tribes of the Ligurian Alps. 
The Ligurian tribes were among the last of the inhabitants of 
Italy incorporated in the Roman empire. They were the allies 
of the Carthaginians in their wars with Rome, and for more 
than a hundred years defied all the military power of the 
Roman empire. When they were conquered by Augustus, he 
erected this remarkable trophy in commemoration of the event. 
It bore an inscription which contained the names of these 
tribes ; and a small fragment which still remains, with part of 
one word and portions of the letters of the line above, can be 
exactly fitted on to the inscription as recorded by the historian 
Pliny. This solid mass of stone was probably covered by 
sculptures of trophies of arms, and surrounded by a statue of 
Augustus. Many fragments of columns, and friezes, and other 
architectural ornaments, have been incorporated in the walls of 
the church and other buildings in the village. An ancient 
Roman road-guide, called the "Itinerary of Antoninus," assigns 
this rock of Turbia as the boundary of Italy and Gaul. 

Soon after leaving Turbia we ent^r the domain of the 
Prince of Monaco, the smallest monarchy in the world. It 
contains two towns and one village, and about 6000 inhabit- 
ants. The Prince, Onorato IV., is descended from the Gri- 
raaldi family, to whom this domain has belonged for more 
than eight centuries. He has his capital, the ancient city of 
Monaco, which stands out of the main road close to the sea- 
shore, covering the table surface of the rock, with its little 
quiet port, its walls and towers, its grand square, its palace, 



140 OLD SIGHTS 

Roccabruna— Mentone— Ventimiglia. 

where are guard-room, ante-chamber, throne, and all the attri- 
butes of sovereignty. The entrance into his dominions is signi- 
fied by a dogana, or custom-house, bearing the lozenge shield of 
the Grimaldi family, surmounted by a crown, where your bag- 
gage must pass under inspection. The Prince lives at Paris the 
greater part of the year. The inhabitants are said to be very 
proud of their independence, and the dignity of their Prince. 

We next pass Roccabruna^ curiously situated upon a rock of 
breccia. It is said that the whole has sunk down several hun- 
dreds of feet without damaging or even disturbing the castle 
and edifices comprising the village. The road here attains to 
a great elevation. It is frightful to look over the side, unpro- 
tected by any rampart, and see the rapid slope of the moun- 
tain many hundred feet down to the edge of the sea. The 
country bears marks of careful cultivation. Every inch of soil 
is improved, the hill-sides are terraced, and everything grows 
with great luxuriance. We descend through a noble wood of 
ancient olives, and a long avenue of rhododendrons, oleanders, 
and palm trees, into Mentone, the other town belonging to the 
Prince of Monaco. About half a mile beyond we come to 
another custom-house, where our baggage undergoes another 
examination, while we regale ourselves with some excellent 
cream cheese, which the peasant girls bring us. We re-enter 
the Sardinian territory. 

The next place is Ventimiglia, the ancient " Albium Inteme- 
lium," and capital of the Intemelian Ligurian tribes. It is an 
Episcopal see, and claims to have had the apostle Barnabas 
for its first bishop. The road through the town is very rough, 
narrovf, and steep. We had occasion to remember it ; for we 
came very near upsetting just before passing the long wooden 
bridge over the Roja. A peasant liad left his cart standing 



WITH NEW EYES. 141 

Palm Trees— San Remo— Towers of Refuge. 

right in the way, and as our postilion endeavored to display 
his skill in turning the sharp corner to bring us on to the 
bridge, notwithstanding the obstruction, the front wheels began 
to sink down the steep bank on the left, and would speedily 
have been followed by the whole vehicle, had ndt the conductor 
jumped out, and with several others pushed it back by main 
force, till the horses could be righted. 

The road now passes through a more level country. We 
notice the two stone towers of Roman origin upon the Monte 
Appio, and a little off the road the ancient castle of Dolce 
Acqua, by the side of the river Kervia. We stop at Bordi- 
ghiera to dine. Above this village is the Montenegi'o^ which is 
said to have once sent forth flames. There are many mineral 
and warm springs in this neighborhood. The palm trees 
become more and more numerous, giving quite an oriental 
aspect to the scenery. Many of them are swathed around 
nearly all the way to the top, in order to improve the growth 
of the branches used in ecclesiastical purposes. 

San Remo is the next place, a city of 11,000 inhabitants, 
beautifully situated upon the sea-shore, and extending up the 
side of a lofty hill. This is considered the culminating point 
of the tropical vegetation of the Riviera. The palms grow in 
the greatest luxuriance, and the dates attain full maturity. The 
city contains many beautiful gardens, generally on terraces, 
which are adorned with palms and orange groves, and perfume 
the air with their sweet odors. 

After leaving the next place, Scm Lorenzo^ the road for some 
distance was along a steep bank close by the sea. Here you 
see, at frequent intervals along the coast, picturesque towers of 
stone, that excite your curiosity. They were built by the in- 
habitants three or four hundred years ago, as places of refuge 

7* 



142 OLDSIGHTS 



Andrea Doriar— Valley of the Albenga. 



from the Barbary pirates, who were the terror of this whole 
region. These towers are very thick, with narrow apertures 
and doors high in the walls, requiring a ladder to reach them. 
"When the alarm was given, the people fled to their stronghold, 
drew up the ladder after them, and were safe from their ene- 
mies. While looking at these towers, I was forcibly reminded 
of Prov. xviii. 10 — 

*' The name of the Lord is a strong tower ; 
The righteous runneth into it and is safe." 

We ride through the steep streets of Porto Maurizto, which 
stands upon a hill projecting into the sea — cross a fine suspen- 
sion bridge, with piers of polished white marble, and enter 
Oreglia, the birth-place of Andrea Doria, the Genoese Admiral, 
descend into the valley of Diano, celebrated for its growth of 
olives and wines, cross the sluggish stream of the Andora, and 
about dusk pass the ruins of the haunted castle where a Papal 
nunzio was murdered, which deed brought down a curse upon 
the adjoining country, which is thought to be the cause of its 
decay. 

Night is upon us as we pass through Alassio, ani.l ride 
through the beautiful valley of the Albenga, where the vines 
are allowed to hang in festoons from the trees — through the 
city of Albenga with its three lofty towers — coming down to 
the sea-shore again, and passing through a tunnel in the rock, 
for some distance — through Finale, Varigotia, another tunnel 
in the rock, from which, as you emerge about the break of day, 
you have a lively prospect, and as the light increases, can see 
the lofty Pharos and fortifications of Genoa in the distance — 
through li^oU, Savona, a flourishing city close upon the sea, 
once having an ample sea-port, where Mago, the Carthaginian, 



WITH NEW EYES, 143 

Distant View of Genoa. 

deposited liis spoils after the capture of Genoa — Varazze, Co- 
f/oleito, which disputes with Genoa the claim to the birth-place 
of Christopher Columbus, The wall as you enter bears an 
inscription to that effect, and one of the houses is pointed out 
as the house where he was born. In opposition to this claim, 
the house of his father Domenico can be proved, by title deeds, 
to have been in the suburbs of Genoa, and Columbus himself 
states that he was born there. 

By this time we have become so exhausted with the fatigue 
of riding, the heat and the dust, as to be insensible to the 
charms of the landscape, or indeed to any object of interest, 
save the speedy termination of our journey. We ride through 
a succession of villages, AranzaPM, Volcri, Ora, Pegli, Sesti'o, 
San Fietro, d^ Arena, close under the lofty light-house, three 
hundred feet high, through the massive gates and fortifications 
bristling with cannon, and bearing many marks of the late 
siege by the Austrians — and we are in the city of Genoa, at 
11 a.m., after a continuous ride of one hundred and forty -two 
and a half miles from Nice, protracted through a period of 
twenty-nine hour;?. 



144 OLD SIGHTS 



Rooms at the Hotel, 



CHAPTER XVII 



GENOVA LA SUPERB A. 



We stopped at the "Grand Hotel de la Ville." Here the 
grumbling propensities of our English companions proved very 
serviceable. At first we were shown very inferior rooms, but 
the freedom of our observations, and the peremptory style of 
our address at length succeeded in unlocking a suite of fine 
apartments at about the same price, consisting of four separate 
bed-rooms, opening into one common drawing-room. The 
drawing-room may serve as a specimen of the better sort of 
rooms in the hotels and private mansions of this country. The 
ceiling was about twenty feet high, and the other dimensions 
in proportion. The floor is laid in cement of different colors, 
perfectly smooth, and polished so as to imitate various kinds of 
marble. It has no carpet. In Italy carpets are not desirable, 
as they always shelter vermin. The walls are covered with 
rich damask paper in imitation of tapestry, and the ceiling is 
domed and painted in fresco with nymphs and goddesses, and 
garlands of flowers. The room is furnished with fine oil- 
paintings, splendid mirrors, marble tables, and bureau, sofas, 
easy chairs, and piano. All the windows here (as indeed 
everywhere on the Continent) open like folding doors in the 
middle, and are secured by iron bolts extending the whole 
length, and contrived to fasten both at the top and bottom by 



WITH NEW EYES. 145 

Charges— Conductor in trouble—Streets of Genoa— Female Costume. 

one turn of the knob in the centre. The charge for such a 
room, with bed-rooms attached, in the same style, though 
smaller, where there is a company of four or five, is two or 
three francs apiece. The meals are extra, dinner three francs, 
and breakfast and supper, from one to two francs each. As a 
specimen of the fruits of the country, we had for dessert lemons, 
oranges, dates, figs, cherries, strawberries, and almonds, all the 
growth of this vicinity. 

We had just taken possession of our rooms, when the con- 
ductor of the diligence which had brought us hither came to 
us in great trepidation, imploring our interposition in his be- 
half. He was several hours behind the time in arriving at 
Genoa, and in consequence was threatened with a heavy fine 
or imprisonment, unless he could obtain a certificate from us 
that the delay was not owing to any misconduct on his part. 
This we readily granted, and sent the poor fellow away re- 
joicing. 

After dinner we strolled out to look at the " City of Palaces." 
Many of the streets are very narrow, impassable for carriages, 
and the houses on each side are very lofty, from six to eight 
stories high. But on this account they are more comfortable 
during the hot season, as the sun is eftectually excluded, and 
the air has the delicious coolness of a deep well. Some of the 
streets, which are occupied as markets, present a very lively 
and pleasing appearance. A great variety of fruit and vege- 
tables is exposed for sale, and a perpetual stream of customers, 
and passengers, and mules, with their gay trappings and tin- 
kling bells, is passing through The costume of the Genoese 
women is singularly graceful. They wear a loose robe of 
muslin or lace, a kind of mantilla, which goes over their heads 
like a veil, and covers their shoulders and arms, while in front 



146 OLD SIGHTS 



" The City of Pal aces "— Duomo, or Cathedral— Relics of John the Baptist. 

it falls over the forehead as low as the eye-brows, and is then 
twisted under the chin, where it is generally confined by the 
fingers. Sometimes the veil is thrown back, and a head of 
hair displayed, even on the common peasant girls, that might 
excite the envy of a duchess — of a rich glossy black, elegantly 
braided and twisted, and fastened with* a long silver pin. . • 

Genoa well deserves her appellation, " The City of Palaces." 
As you walk along the principal streets, such as the Strada 
JBalbi, the Strada JVuovissima, and the Strada JSFuova, which 
are continuous, you see a succession of magnificent buildings 
in the richest style of architecture, with marble balconies in 
every story, adorned witli sculpture and paintings, and through 
the open hall you catch a glimpse of courts, and gardens, and 
orange groves, and halls, and arches, and flights of steps in long 
perspective beyond. Many days may be spent in examining 
the internal arrangements and decorations of those palaces, 
and the fine collections of paintings which they contain. 

We visited the Duomo, or Cathedral of St. Lorenzo, which 
was built in the eleventh century. The interior has a singular 
appearance, from the courses of masonry being alternately of 
white and black marble. Some of the stalls and partitions in 
the choir are beautifully inlaid in woods of various colors. The 
ancient manuscript choir-books are yet in use, and are a great 
curiosity. 

Of the many side-chapels, the richest is that of St. John the 
Baptist. No female is permitted to enter it except in one day 
of the year, — an exclusion imposed by Pope Innocent VIIL, as 
it is said, in revenge for the agency of the daughter of Hero- 
dias in having John beheaded ! The relics of the saint are 
contained in an iron-bound chest, which is seen through the 
apertures of the marble sarcophagus enclosing it. 



WITH NEW EYES. 147 

The "Sacred Basin "—Assemblies of the People. 

In the treasury of this church is preserved a relic called the 
Sacro Catino, i. e. " sacred basin," long supposed to be com- 
posed of a sin^/le emerald, though since discovered to be glass. 
It was part of the spoils won by the Ci'usaders at the taking of 
Caesarea, in 1101, which the Genoese selected as their portion. 
Various traditions were connected with it, such as that it was 
a gift from the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, that it was the 
dish which held the Pascal Lamb at the Last Supper, and that 
it was the vessel in which Joseph of Arimathea received the 
blood flowing from the side of the Redeemer, in search of 
which the Knights of King Arthur made their quest. A set 
of keepers was appointed over it, and no stranger was allowed 
to touch it under heavy penalties. Three times a year it was 
brought forth and exhibited to the multitude. by a prelate of 
high rank. 

We also visited the church of SavJ Siro, the most ancient 
Christian foundation in Genoa, and associated with important 
events in its history. In this church the assemblies of the 
people were held, which revolutionized the character of 
the government, transferring it from the nobles to the people. 
Here Boccanegra was created the first Doge of Genoa, amidst 
cries of " Viva il popolo ! " The interior is rich in various 
marbles. 

Also the church of Sati' Matteo, built in alternate courses of 
black and white marble, which gives it a singular appearance ; 
the church of Sari' Amhroglo, the interior of which is completely 
covered with rich marbles, and paintings, and gilding, from the 
vault to the pavements, containing, among others, a fine painting 
of the Assumption by Guido, the Circumcision, and St. Ignatius 
healing a Demoniac, by Riihens ; and the splendid church of 
L^Annunciata. 



148 OLD SIGHTS 



Marble Terrace— Bank of St. George— Comm emorative Statues. 

At evening we took a walk upon tlie marble terrace, which 
extends along the quay of the port for half a mile upon the 
top of a range of shops. It is wide enough for six carriages 
abreast, and is bordered on each side by a massive balustrade, 
which, with the pavement, is of solid white marble. Being on 
a level with the roofs of the houses opposite, it commands a 
fine view of the city on one side and the harbor on the 
other. 

The next morning we paid a visit to the building formerly 
called the Banco di Giorgio^ i. e. Bank of St. George. It was 
the most ancient establishment of the kind in Europe, arising 
out of the exigencies of the republic in 1346, and was managed 
with great ability and integrity. It is now used as the Cus- 
tom-house, and we had some difficulty in finding the way to 
the great hall, which contains some remains of the ancient 
pride and glory of the Genoese. We found it occupied with 
writing desks, and Custom-house inspectors and officers, but 
many of the statues still remain. These statues are in two 
ranges around the sides of the hall, the uppermost standing, 
and the lower sitting, all as large as life. They were designed 
to commemorate the munificence and charities of the nobles 
and citizens of Genoa, the Spinolas, the Dorias, Grimaldis, and 
others whose names are so familiar in the annals of the repub- 
lic. Beneath each statue is a tablet or inscription, recounting the 
actions of those whom they commemorate ; — one had founded a 
hospital ; another had bought off a tax upon provisions, which 
pressed heavily upon the poor ; another had left revenues for 
endowing poor maidens. Here too is a group in marble of a 
griffin holding in his claws an eagle and a fox (the latter two 
being allegorical representations of the Emperor Frederic II. 
and the city of Pisa), with the inscription — 



WITH NEW EYES. 149 

Manufactures — Sardinian Courtesy. 

" Grrphus ut has angit, 
Sic liostes Genua frangit" 

Genoa is still a flourishing commercial city. Its population 
is about 144,000. Manufactures of silks, damasks, and velvets, 
are carried on to a considerable extent. The goldsmiths excel in 
a beautiful kind of filigree work of gold and silver, whicli tliey 
work into branches of flowers, butterflies, and a great variety 
of other ornaments. 

Ti'e concluded to take our departure in the steamer 
" Capri," which was to sail that evening for Leghorn, and 
Civita Yecchia and Xaples. Accordingly, after our passports 
had been put in travelling order at an expense of three or four 
dollars apiece, I set out to find the way to the office to secure 
our passage. Meeting a Sardinian officer, who had the air of 
a gentleman. I asked him if he would have the kindness to 
direct me. He at once ofl^ered to accompany me, saying in 
answer to my remonstrances, that he was perfectly at leisure, 
and happy to do me a favor. He walked nearly half a mile 
through a series of narrow and intricate streets, before we 
reached the office, where he introduced me, and wishing me a 
pleasant voyage, bade me adieu. I have often since thought 
of the politeness of this officer to me, who was a perfect stran- 
o-er, and resolved to imiiate it whenever I miofht have a similar 
opportunity here. Surely those who profess to be governed by 
the spirit of Christian benevolence, their conduct ought not to 
be outdone in this respect by those who act merely from a 
natural impulse, or in obedience to the laws of conventional 
propriety. 



150 OLD SIGHTS 



Genoa from the Sea— Leghorn. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

GENOA TO LEGHORN, PISA, CITITA VECCHIA, AND NAPLES. 

At six o'clock p.m., a sfiiall boat took us aboard tlie steamer 
" Capri," which lay off in the bay, and by eight o'clock we 
were under way for Leghorn. The view of Genoa from the 
sea is very fine. It lies around a beautiful bay, in the form of 
a crescent, with a mountain in the background, the sloping 
sides of which are gay with villas and gardens, and colonnades 
of trellis work, covered with flowers. ^STear the end of the 
western pier the Fauale^ or lighthouse, rises to the height of 
three hundred feet east of the rock. Close by is the quaran- 
tine establishment, and farther north the Do.rsena (docks 
and arsenal), and the Bayne, a prison for convicts. Then 
the portico, surmounted by the marble terrace, extends 
the whole front of the quay to the Dogana (custom-house), 
and »next to that, on tiie east side of the harbor, the 
Porto Frances (free port), a collection of warehouses, three 
hundred and thirty-five in number, surrounded by a high wall, 
with only two gates — one towards the sea, the other towards 
the city, where goods may be warehoused and re-exported free 
of duty. The surrounding heights are crowned with fortifica- 
tions on a very extensive scale, the outer circuit being seven 
miles in circumference. 

The next morning we awoke at Leghorn, where the steamer 



WITH ICEW EYES. 151 

Anecdote— Rail to Pisa. 

was to lie by all day, and start again at evening. After sorae 
delay, we succeeded in getting ashore, and repaired to the 
Hotel " L'Aigle Noir " (" the Black Eagle ") for breakfast. A 
young German, whose acquaintance we made on board the 
steamer, accomjDanied us, and entertained us very much by his 
lively and amusing conversation. He was travelling on busi- 
ness in connection with a mercantile house in London, whose 
relations extended all over Europe, and into " the East," and 
spoke English, French, and Italian, with great fluency. We 
were much amused by a description he gave us of an English- 
man with whom he once travelled in the diligence. The Eng- 
lishman was very reserved and distant, repelled all his advances, 
and wrapped himself up in his own dignity. He condescended, 
however, to ask the German for several words which he had 
occasion to use in the course of the journey. At the inn 
where they passed the night, the Englishman got into some 
difficulty about his passport, and as he could not make himself 
understood at all, he summoned the young German to his 
relief. He found him in his night dress, in a towering rage 
at the officer, who was not satisfied with his papers, and wished 
him to spell his name. So the Englishman began in English 
style, " H-e-a-t-h, Heath." But it was utterly unintelligible to 
the Italian (whose language has no " h " in use), who thought 
the Englishman was mocking him, and began to threaten him 
with arrest and imprisonment. The German offered his ser- 
vices to spell the name after the Italian fashion ; but the Eng- 
lishman, indignant at the implication, drew himself up with a 
great deal of dignity, and responded, "Sir, do you think I 
don't know how to spell my own name ? " 

After breakfast we rode to the railway, and were soon trans- 
ported over the intervening distance between Leghorn and 



152 OLD SIGHTS 



Cathedral—" Galileo's Lamp"— Baptistry. 



Pisa, about twelve miles, in half an liour. The principal 
objects of interest to visitors at Pisa are — the Cathedral, with 
its Baptistry, and Campanile, or bell-tower, commonly called 
the " Leaning Tower," and the Campo Santo. 

The Cathedral owes its origin to the following events. In 
1063, the Pisans, ha\^ng engaged to assist the Normans in 
freeing Sicily from the Saracens, attacked Palmero with their 
fleet, broke the chain which protected the harbor, and returned 
home with six of the enemy's largest vessels laden with rich 
merchandise. Elated by their success, they resolved to com- 
memorate it by the erection of a new Cathedral. The fii'st 
stone was laid in 1064, and the building consecrated by Pope 
Gelasius IT., in 1118. The plan is a Latin cross; length of 
the nave, three hundred and eleven feet ; width, one hundred 
and six feet six inches ; length of the transepts, two hundred 
and thirty-seven feet four inches, and width, fifty-eight feet. 
From the centre rises an elliptical cupola. The bases, capi- 
tals, cornices, and other parts, are fragments of antiquity, col- 
lected from different places. The western front is one hundred 
and sixteen feet wide, and one hundred and twelve -feet 
three inches high. It has five stories of arches, supported by 
Corinthian columns. The walls are composed of alternate 
layers of red and white marble. The bronze doors are covered 
with the history of the Virgin and her Son, in bas-relief, and 
the interior is full of monuments, and altars, and paintings, 
and costly marbles, which have been accumulating for centu- 
ries. The most interesting object to me was the bronze lamp 
suspended in the nave, the vibration of which suggested to 
Galileo the application of the pendulum to the measurement of 
the time. 

The Baptistry (a building devoted to the administration of 



Wll'H NEW EYEg. 153 

tulpit— Caml)o Santo— Slab Tombs— Monuments. 

baptism) stands a few rods west of the Cathedral. It is in the 
form of a dome, with a diameter of one hundred feet inside, 
and walls eight feet six inches thick, and tlie height from the 
pavement to the top of the cupola is one hundred and seventy- 
nine feet. In the centre of the building is the font, about 
fourteen feet in diameter, formerly used for baptism by immer- 
sion. From the centre of the font rises a pillar supporting a 
figure of John the Baptist. All around is a space raised three 
steps above the general pavement, for the accommodation of 
persons assembled to view the ceremony. 

The great ornament, however, is the pulpit, or reading-desk, 
it is a hexagon, resting upon nine pillars ; seven for the pulpit 
— one at each angle, and one in the centre ; and two for the 
staircase. There are two marble desks, one for the gospel, pro- 
jecting from the side of the pulpit, in the shape of a book, and 
supported by an eagle, the other for the epistle, rising from the 
staircase and resting upon a bracket column. The columns 
stand alternately upon male figures crouching, and a griflSn, a 
lion, and a tiger. The sides of the pulpit are covered with 
bas-reliefs in marble^ wondrously executed, representing the 
Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation in the 
Temple, the Crucifixion, and the Last Judgment. 

The Campo Santo near by is a cemetery composed of 
earth brought from Mount Calvary, in Palestine. This earth 
was said to reduce to dust dead bodies buried in it within 
twenty-four hours. It was brought here by Archbishop XJbal- 
do, in his fifty-three vessels, when he was compelled by Saladin 
to retreat from the Holy Land (1188-1200). Around this 
sacred ground, which is of an oblong shape, a building was 
constructed, enclosing it like a court in the centre, and having 
a wide colonnade or cloister on the inside for sepulchral monu- 



154 OLD SIGHTS 



Paintings in Fresco— Leaning Tower. 



merits. The pavement of this cloister is composed of slab 
tombs of the Pisan families, who had the right of interment 
here, said to be six hundred in number. The figures upon 
them are in the costume of different classes of citizens, doctors, 
knights, merchants, bishops, abbots, &c., though these distinc- 
tions are well nigh effaced by the feet of generations who have 
walked over them. The cloister contains an interesting collec- 
tion of sepulchral monuments, brought hither from the Duomo 
and other churches, many of them of Eoman and Grecian 
origin, which were appropriated by the Pisans for the interment 
of their own relatives. The walls are covered with a series of 
paintings in fresco, of sul-jjects taken from the Scriptures, and 
the lives of the saints. Many of them have been obliterated 
by dampness and the scahng off of the plaster, but enough 
still remains to excite the wonder and admiration of the 
beholder at the vast expenditure of time and labor- which they 
must have required. One series, by Giotto, represents the 
principal scenes in the life of Job ; another, scenes in the life 
of St. Ranieri; another, a succession of biblical histories; 
another, the Last Judgment, and the Infernal Regions. Some 
of these are extremely grotesque and ridiculous, while others 
are horribly expressive. 

The Leaxixg Tower is the campanile or " bell-tower " of the 
Cathedral, and stands but a few steps from it. It is celebrated 
from its overhanging its base upwards of thirteen feet ! This 
was owing to the settling of the foundation before the tower 
had been carried up one half of its height. The builders 
endeavored to bring back the upper part to as vertical a direc- 
tion as practicable, by making the columns on one side higher 
than on the other. The walls have also been strengthened by 
iron bars. The tower is cylindrical, fifty feet in diameter, one 



WITH NEW EYES. 155 

View from the Top— Jewish Synagogues— Civita Vecchia. 

hundred and seventy' eight feet high, and consists of eight 
stories of columns, with an open gallery round each story. 
The ascent is by two hundred and ninety steps. On the sum- 
mit are seven bells, so arranged that the heavier metal is on 
the side where its weight may counteract the inclination of the 
building. The largest weighs upwards of 1200 pounds. The 
best toned one was only tolled for criminals on iheir way to 
execution. From the top there is a fine view of the city of 
Pisa, and the surrounding plain, the Mediterranean, Leghorn, 
and the island of Gorgena in the distance, and in other direc- 
tions a diversified country, bounded by hills and distant moun- 
tains. 

On our return from Pisa we had a few hours tb spend in 
exploring the streets of Leghorn. It is a good place for 
"shopping." Almost everything in the hne of clothing, orna- 
ment, and even books, English as well as French and Italian, 
may be obtained here, and at a cheap rate, as it is a free port, 
if you will beat the shop-keepers down about one half, for 
which they make allowance at the outset. We also paid a 
visit to the Jewish Synagogue, which ranks next to that of 
Amsterdam. It is in a very narrow, dirty street, and has a 
very unpromising exterior. But" the interior is a very hand- 
some room, richly ornamented with marbles, and having a 
beautiful gallery and balustrade of white marble, which is ap- 
propriated exclusivel}^ for females. 

At four P.M. w^e returned to the steamer. The sea was quite 
rough, in consequence of a strong south-west wind, which is 
the worst of all upon the Mediterranean. Many of our com- 
pany were very sick. By abstaining from dinner, and keeping 
on my back, I managed to escape with impunity. 

The next morning we ran into Civita Vecchia, the port of 



156 OLD SIGHTS 



Bay of Naples— Frigate " Independence." 



Rome, which has two narrow entrances strongly guarded. Its 
massive fortifications give it a striking appearance. It was a 
long time before we could obtain admission to land. First the 
captain had to go ashore and exhibit his papers, then the pas- 
sengers were all mustered on deck and the roll was called, to 
see if they were all there. If any one had been missing, the 
presumption would have been, that there had been a death on 
board, and the vessel would have been put in quarantine. 
Finally, those of us whose passports were fixed for Rome, were 
allowed to go ashore, where we breakfasted at the hotel, and 
rambled about the streets, but saw nothing worthy of note. 
The city was full of French soldiers, and a French war steamer 
lay in the harbor. 

"We engaged the " steward " to call us in time to see the 
famous " Bay of Naples," and long before sunrise we were on 
deck, straining our eyes to distinguish the land-marks of the 
coast. We soon made the islands of Ischia and Procida, with 
their rocky sides mantled with verdure, and dotted with villas, 
the promontory of Baiee, Mount Vesuvius, with a faint wreath 
of smoke curling up from its summit, the island of Capri in the 
distance, and now the city of IS'aples spreads before us in a long 
curve around the sea-shore, with a background of hills covered 
with vineyards, and gardens, and crowned with castles and 
monasteries. All is life and animation. The harbor is full of 
vessels, of all sizes and nations. W^e shoot by five French 
war-vessels, one of them a mammoth four-decker — and with a 
thrill of joy I perceive the " stars and stripes " floating from the 
yard-arm of a gallant frigate, the "Independence." Our 
steamer is immediately surrounded by a fleet of small boats 
with gaily-colored awnings, containing the runners of the 
several hotels, on the look-out for customers. 



WITH NEW EYES. 157 

"La Crocelle." 

A genteel looking Mulatto attracts our attention by his 
cool, American air ; we inquire the name of his hotel ; it is 
" La Crocelle^'' which we have heard highly commended ; we 
put ourselves at his disposal ; we are landed with our baggage 
at the custom-house, where a few francs judiciously appHed 
relieve the officers from all necessary trouble on our account ; 
we jump into the carriage which stands waiting for us, beset 
by a throng of beggars, and are soon comfortably established in 
our new quarters. 



WS QLD SIGHTS 



A-ccottUnbdatioBS at the " Crocelle "—Villa Real— Principa IStrefetff. 



CHAPTER Xl% 



APLESv 



We found' pleasaM acc'onrmodatioi^ at te " CroeeMe.^ fh^ 
hotel is on the street which runs alongside of the water, so^ tha^ 
from our parlor windows fn th^ third story, we had a fine view 
of the bay in front, and Mount Vesuvius at the extreme left,' 
Our meals were served in our drawing-toom by a tery attentive" 
and accomplished waiter, so that We enjoyed something like 
domestic qiriet and cbmfort duTing the ten daysr we |>assed in 
S'aples. We experienced mifch annoyance, however, from one- 
source, which the traveller must expect as a matter of coarse ir^ 
Italy, even a^ the best regu-kted Botels.- I^one of thefiaf are free 
from vermin of all so:^ts and siz^es. 

After breakfast we took a promeiiade in the Tilla Keal, ?^ 
ptiblic ground extending along the sea-shore fol- hal^ a miley- 
laid out in Walks and gardens, and horned with suflMner-house^ 
and statuary. The wide street called the Corso runs on one 
side of it, lendii^ out to the Grotto of Posilipo, a favorite 
drive for the citizens. "Visited {^veral shops, where we saw fine 
assortments of cameos, mosaics, bracelets, and all kinds of 
ornanaents-, made of coral and lava. The principal streets^ 
such as the " Ckiaja " and " Toledo,'' are tolerably clean, 
though narrow in most parts, and without walks, so that it' 
yequires no little dext;erity to steer through the (^owd of foot- 



WiTfi l^feW EYE^. ISO 

i---y, ---- - - ,- ^ „ 

Street Sights— Carriages— The Temp le. 

passengel^s and carriages. But the streets generally are ex- 
tremely dirty, and abotind in noisome slnells. The doors and 
■windows are all open, So that tile passer-by can see all that is 
going on within. Half the inhabitants are in the streets, and 
tnany of the trades are carried oh there, sudh as weavingj 
tope-making, embroider}'-, and tinkering of all kinds. One 
street is full of iron bedstead makers^ another is a favorite 
j-esort of scribes. Or letter-writers, who sit at little tables, with 
ink-horns, ready to wield their pens in the service of the 
people ; another is occupied as a market. It is common to 
See boys and girls ten years old running about stark nakedj 
and in the vicinity of the docks full-grown men in the same 
condition, almost black with tan and dirt. 

I'ublic carriages ate Very numerous, and can be obtained 
at a cheap rate. The drivers have a curious fashion of trick- 
ing out their horses with brass gewgaws, often in the shape 
of little vanes, upon the neck, and back, and tail, that whirl 
around with the motion of the animal. The display of private 
Equipages Upon the " Corso " just befoi-e evening, is one of the 
finest I have ever witnessed. Many of them belong to the 
i^nglish residents or visitors. 

Among the public edifices in Naples, one of the most coti^ 
fepicuous is the Temple, which fronts a large square opposite 
the Palace. It has a large dome built after the Pantheon at 
Paris, which is supported by beautiful pillars of variegated 
marble. Marble statues of St. ChrySostOm, St. Matthew, St* 
Luke, St. Mark, St. John, St. Augustine, and St. AthanasiuSj 
stand between the pillars, and the Walls are adorned with many 
line paintings. 

The Cathedral has some beautiful marbles, several statues of 
t*opes, and some fine paintings. Many of the other churches 



160 OLD SIGHTS* 

Indulgences— The Muse um— Pain tings> 

are riclily ornamented. They seemed to be well attended. We 
always saw persons at the confessionals, and at mass quite a 
large congregation. Over one church was the inscription, 
" Plena indulgentia quotidiana et perpetua^ mortuis et vivis^'' 
i. e. ^^full indulgence daily and perpetually for the dead and 
the living." Another had the same with the addition, " toties 
quoties^'' i. e. " as many times as you please.^"* The purport of 
which was, that within those churches one might obtain fiiU 
indulgence for any crime or crimes which he either had com- 
mitted, or might desire to commit, for one day, or any number 
of days, or as often as he might please, and this indulgence 
might be obtained not only for the living for themselves, but 
also for their deceased relatives or friends. 

We spent several days in exploring the Museum, *' Museo 
£orbonico" as it is called. It is on a grand scale. The 
entrance hall is of imposing dimensions, and adorned with 
colossal statuary. The first floor is devoted to the more mas- 
sive antiquities, such as statues, monuments, fragments of archi- 
tecture, &c. The rooms above contain the lighter antiquities, 
a fine collection of paintings, and the library. 

Difierent rooms are assigned to the paintings of diflferent 
schools ; one room for the Bolognese ; another for the Vene- 
tian ; another for the Neapolitan ; another for the Eoman, &c. 
Here are some of the first originals by Domenichino, the two 
Caracci, Correggio, Titian, Rubens, Raphael, Guido, and a host 
of others. Of those which made the strongest impression upon 
me at the time, I have noted a series illustrating the history of 
the Prodigal Son, one of Moses smiting the rock, St. Agatha, 
St. Jerome in a library taking a thorn out of a lion's foot, the 
contest between a lion and a tiger over a deer ; a fine large 
painting of the Crucifixion, in which I was struck with the 



WITH NEW EYES. 161 

Antiquities of Pompeii and Herculaneum— Statuary. 

despairing expression of one thief, and the penitent hopeful air 
of the other ; the fine expression of reverence on the face of 
the centurion ; and the consternation of many of the specta- 
tors at the unnatural phenomena of the scene. But I can 
convey no idea of the extent, variety, and magnificence of this 
collection of paintings of all kinds, portraits, historical, archi- 
tectural, landscape, &c., on all subjects, domestic, public, 
sacred, and profane. One might spend weeks in the study of 
a single one of the innumerable master-pieces that are to be 
found here. The rooms were full of artists at their easels, dili- 
gently engaged in copying, often with a cluster of admiring 
friends around them watching their progress. 

The collection of the lighter antiquities is one of great 
interest. I was struck with the great number and variety of 
domestic utensils from Pompeii, many of them, such as the 
kettles, pots, chafing-dishes, vases, cups, &c., very much like 
modern ones, of beautiful proportions, and exquisite workman- 
ship. In one room, the operations of unrolling the charred 
manuscripts of papyrus fi*om Herculaneum by an ingenious 
machine contrived for that purpose, was going on, slowly 
unfolding the fragile material, and glueing it to a more substan- 
tial fabric of parchment underneath. Many of these manu- 
scripts have been deciphered and published. I could easily 
make out the letters, Roman capitals, with no intervening 
space, but only points to separate the words. 

The Egyptian antiquities, in one of the rooms below, are 
very numerous and interesting. The apartment of mummies is 
said to be the richest in the world. 

The choicest treasures of Pompeii have been transferred to 
this Museum. There are some very fine Mosaic pavements, 
whole sides of rooms covered with fresco paintings, many of 



162 OLD SIGHTS 



Hall of the Emperors— Grecian and Roman Art. 



wliich, taken from the walls of their sleeping apartments, are 
of the lowest grade of obscenity. But I was much interested 
in the statuary — heathen gods and goddesses — one colossal 
statue of Jupiter, with an air of indescribable majesty. Bac- 
chuses and Venuses without number, the favorite subjects of 
ancient sculptors. One room is wholly devoted to Venuses. 
There is the " Venus of Capua," tbe " Venus Kallipuge," and 
so on ad infinitum^ each one having some peculiarity of 
drapery or posture by which it is distinguished. There are 
some fine statues of the " Seasons," the " Muses," one of Atlas, 
Flora, Pudicitia veiled. Psyche, a wounded Amazon on horse- 
back, Aristides, Socrates, Plato, Seneca, Demosthenes, Cicero, 
Homer, Terence, <fec., — the statues of the Balbi family from 
Pompeii, father, mother, son, and daughter. The hall of the 
Emperors carries one back to the days of Roman power and 
magnificence. As you walk between the majestic forms of the 
Caesars, the heart swells with great thoughts of the manly 
vigor and massive strength of the Roman character, that 
stamped its impress on the language and literature of all com- 
ing time. And yet it is enough to make angels weep, to think 
of the lamentable prostitution of such mighty energies to sel- 
fish ends. Oh, if all the exquisite talk and unrivalled skill of 
Grecian and Roman art, if all the heaven-descended inspiration 
of ancient genius had been consecrated to the cause of human 
advancement, to the cause of God, what mighty changes might 
have been wrought for the welfare of mankind ! The genius 
of men would have found an ample field for its noblest exercise, 
instead of beating its restless wings against the bars of its cage, 
or exerting its energies in the production of works of art, 
which, however admirable in themselves, are a poor accouiit of a 
lifetime 1 



WITH NEW EYES. 168 

ffaatle .of ^t. El-mo— San Ca^rloa Theatre— The Kiag and 'Queen— Tomb of Virgil. 

One afteriioon we visited the Castle of St. Elmo. This 
establishment comprises a fort, a monastery, and a church, upon 
a commanding -emineEce m the i^ar of the city. There is a 
good carriage road all the way to the top. One of the monks 
conducted us ail over the monasteiy, permitted us to enter seve- 
ral of the cells, and was veiy communicative. In the centre of 
ihe building is an open court, surrounded by a cloister with 
marble pillars. laa the middle of the court is a well, and 
around it a ceaiietery inclosed by an iron railing surmounted by 
death's heads. From the p-incipal halt of the monastery there 
i-s a magniiiceat view of the city and bay of Naples, and the 
surrounding country. We rode home by a circuitous route, 
abounding in fine vie-ws, through the Orotto of Posilipo, a sin- 
gular tunnel through the rock half a mile long — ^and the 
^' Corso." Tke " Cm-so " was thronged with eleganjt cai*riages 
and fine horses. 

One foi-enoon we paid a visit to the JSan Carlos Tkeatre,^a\$, 
to be the largest m the world. A-s it was not lighted «p, and is 
without windo^ve, sa-ve a few apertures through which light can 
be admitted, we had but a dim view of it. It has six rows of 
boxes, ornamented with gilding and painting in the usual thea- 
trical style, and will seat 5,000 persons. Opposite the stage, is 
the King's box, surmounted by a crown. He rarely attends, 
however, or goes anywhere in public, being very unpopular, and 
afraid of his people^ He spends most of his time at his palace 
in the country, at Giusetta. He was described to me as a gross- 
iooking «ian, with large double chin, pleasant, but not remark^ 
able for intellect, sensual m his tastes and habits. The Queea 
is an Austrian, and is even more unpopular than her husband. 

Another time we visited the Tomb ojt Virgil, which is on 
i»be summit of the Orotto of Posi^ipo^ 



164 OLD SIGHTS 



Castellamare— Ride to Sorrento— Ruins of Pompeii. 



Many delightful excursions may be made in the vicinity of 
IS'aples. One day we took the railway to Castellamare, on the 
east side of the bay, passing through Portici, where the Pope 
resided during part of his exile, under the protection of the 
King of the Two Sicilies — through Torre di Greci and Annun- 
ciata, which lies at the foot of Mount Yesu\du5. At Castella- 
mare we took a carriage and proceeded to Sorrento^ twelve 
miles further, one of the finest rides I ever enjoyed. The road 
winds around the eastern coast of the bay of Xaples, following 
its numerous indentations, now close to the sea, now upon the 
top of a high wall two or three hundred feet high, and now 
crossing a deep ravine upon a double row of arches, bor- 
dered with vineyards, trained in festoons from tree to tree, 
orange groves laden with fruit, oleanders, myrtles, acacias, and 
presenting a constant succession of the most enchanting scenery. 
Sorrento was the birth-place of the poet Tasso. We drove hito 
the garden of " II Sirene,''^ a house of entertainment, beautifully 
situated in the midst of an orange grove upon a crag over- 
hanging the sea. From the windows of our rooms, we could 
see the city of Naples opposite, and the whole of the bay with 
its gToups of villages and noble back-ground of mountains. 

The next morning we. returned to Castellamare, and thence 
to the ruins of the buried city of Pompeii. It is a vast mound 
of ashes deposited by the volcano, and at a distance appears not 
unlike a railway embankment. It has been excavated only in 
part. The walls of the houses without roofs, and the pavements 
of the streets have been disclosed in some places, while in others 
you walk through cultivated fields upon the top of the mound. 
We saw the soldiers' barracks, the theatre and amphitheatre, 
a little out of the city, the Temple of Isis — the sti-eet of mer- 
chants, where you may still see in some of the apartments the 



WITH NEW EYES. 165 

Herculaneum. 

earthen jars used for oil and wine — the house of Sallust, with 
its walls painted in fresco — the quarter of the money-changers, 
where you see the sign of money pouring out of a purse still 
upon the walls — the Forum, the Basilica, the Court of Justice, 
the Temple of Jupiter, the Baths, the house of the Faun, with 
its beautiful mosaic pavements, &c., &c. Most of the choicest 
works of art have been deposited in the Museum at Naples. 
A strange spell comes over the mind as one looks upon the 
round-stone pavement of the streets, and sees the marks of 
wheels which rolled over it nearly eighteen hundred years ago 
as fresh as yesterday, and the stone fountain with the tubes 
from which the water then gushed forth ; and enters the various 
apartments of the houses, and notes the domestic arrangements. 
It seems as if you must come across some of the inhabitants at 
the next turn. But when you think of the awful destruction of 
the ancient city in the noon-tide of its wealth, and gaiety, and 
vice, and of the scenes of terror which must there have occurred, 
in every street and house, a voice of warning comes booming 
over the surges of the past, presaging that great and notable day 
of the Lord, when the sun shall be turned into darkness, and 
the moon into blood, and all faces shall gather blackness ! Are 
we not taught in the Scriptures to regard all such events, though 
produced by natural causes, as set forth for an example like the 
destruction of the old w^orld by water, and of Sodom and Go- 
morrah by fire, unto them that after should live ungodly, fore- 
boding and illustrating the vengeance of eternal fire ? 

From Pompeii we went by rail to Portici, and thence walked 
to Herculaneum. . These two cities were destroyed at the same 
time, A. D. 80, Pompeii by a shower of ashes, Herculaneum by 
a flood of lava. The lava is black and very hard, so that the 
excavation here is a work of great difficulty, like digging into 

8* 



166 OLDSIGHTS 



Herculaneum. 



a quarry of hard stone. We first visited some of the ruins which 
are open to the air, and then the excavation of the amphitheatre. 
You enter one of the houses in the modern village, where a guide 
furnishes you with a candle, and opening a door in the side of 
the wall bids you follow. It is just like going down a deep 
cellar through a stairway cut in solid black lava. The air is 
cold and clammy, and strikes a chill to the very heart. It is 
not safe to remain here long. We descend seventy-nine feet, 
and come to a larger excavation, which discloses the seats of 
the amphitheatre, and looking up to a round aperture through 
which the light comes glimmering, we see the well in which the 
discovery of the buried city was made. The guide goes to one 
end of the stage with his light, and bids us go to the other to 
see the extent of it. It is of immense size. We see the pedestals 
from which were taken the equestrian statues of the Balbi, 
which are now in the Museum at I^s'aples, and read the inscrip- 
tion. We pass into the green-room and see the impression of 
a mask in the lava, supposed to have been in the hand of an 
actor, whose skeleton was found here in the attitude of flight. 
From Herculaneum we returned to Naples, well tired out with 
our dav's work. 



WITH NEW EYES, 167 

jFarew#ll to Naples— <Ja beard the Ste-amer- 



CHAPTER XX, 

HAPLES TO ROME — THE COLISEUM BY MOONLIGHT. 

I 

The time came for our pleasant little party at tlie " Crocelle " 
to be broken up. No more should we meet at our pleasant 
breakfast-table in the morning to recount the adventures of the 
previous night, our comparative success in wooing the coquettish 
goddess of sleep, and to talk over our plans for the day before 
us. No more should we" stroll arm in arm along the " Chiaja " 
and " Toledo," making our '* free and easy " observations on the 
passing scene, turning into every shop or church whither our 
fancy led us, or penetrating the labyrinth of dark and crooked 
passages on either side, and amusing ourselves with the strange 
sights which then met our eyes. No more should we hang 
over the balcony of our parlor at the close of day, to see the 
interminable line of cai-riages rolling along the "Corso," to 
ihrow carlini to some street serenader, or to witness the shadows 
of evening spread over the magnificent bay. 

Our English companions took the French steamer to Malta, 
there to take the Oriental steamer to Southampton, while we 
took the " Castore " for Civita Vecchia, on our way to Rome. 
It was a chilly, drizzly afternoon, but we found some old acquaint- 
ances on board with whom we had travelled in the " Capri " 
from Genoa — ^viz. our German friends, whose embracing and 
Jiissing at parting, great stout men as they were, appeared to 



168 OLD SIGHTS 



Civita Vecchia— Ride in the Diligence— Murder and Robbery. 

lis in a very ludicrous light : — our Spanish friend of Gibraltar, 
now engaged in the iron business at Madeira, a pleasant, sociable 
man — another from Buenos Ajtcs — and the interesting Countess 
P., with her two beautiful daughters, from Naples. 

In the evening the moon broke out from a heavy mass of 
black clouds, and we paced the deck till midnight admiring the 
scene, taking, as we supposed, our last looks at the classic waters 
of the Mediterranean. 

We awoke the next morning in the port of Civita Vecchia. 
After being subjected to the usual delay, we were permitted to 
land, and we hurried off to the diligence oflSce to secure seats, 
as there was a great crowd of passengers on their way to Rome, 
to be present at the Festival of St. Peter and Paul, on the 29th 
June. 

We started at eleven and a quarter a. m., and had a very 
hot and dusty ride through a desolate looking country, inter- 
esting only on account of its historical associations. The road 
pursues the route of the ancient Via Aurelia, most of the way. 
We saw a great many fine large mouse-coloured oxen, with 
mild expressive eyes, and huge branching horns, grazing in the 
fields, or harnessed to carts by ropes tied to the ends of their 
horns. We stopped a short time at Paolo, which is on the 
coast, the site of ancient Alsium, near which Pompey had a 
villa. The inhabitants are a ruffian-looking set. One of our 
company told a story of a gentleman hunting near by, who was 
accosted by a fellow just after he had discharged one barrel, and 
ordered to give up his gun, as he was trespassing on forbidden 
ground. The gentleman, supposing him to be a gamekeeper 
or official of some kind clothed with authority, surrendered his 
gun accordingly ; whereupon the fellow shot him through the 
heart with the remaining barrel, and then robbed him, 



WITH NEW EYES. 169 

First Sight of St . Peter's— Roman History. 

About five and a half p. m., from a hill ten miles distant, we 
caught our first glimpse of the dome of St. Peter's, and then 
commenced that high intellectual excitement which lasted during 
our whole stay in Rome. As we approached nearer, we met 
straggling companies of French soldiers, and passed many long 
trains of cars laden with military supplies for the French army. 
We entered by the Porta Cavalleggieri, stopped close under the 
walls of the " Inquisition," while our passports and baggage were 
under examination, crossed the great square of St. Peter's, and 
caught a glimpse of the Vatican, rode by the castle of St. An- 
gelo, across the Bridge of St. Angelo (the ancient Pons JElius, 
constructed by Hadrian), looked down upon the " yellow Tiber," 
crossed the " Corso," the principal street of Rome, and were set 
down at the " Hotel d'Angleterre," about eight o'clock in the 
evening. 

After supper we ordered a carriage, and set out on a moon- 
light visit to the 

COLISEUM. 

As we rode through the streets, and various objects of interest 
were pointed out to me in passing, such as the Forum of Tra- 
jan, where is Trajan's column, the open space anciently occu- 
pied by the Roman Forum, the A^xh of Titus, erected to com- 
memorate the conquest of Jerusalem, &c., I could hardly believe 
that I was really in Rome. It seemed like the illusion of a 
dream from which I must awake. But as I became convinced 
of the reality of what I saw, there sank down into my mind an 
impression of the truth and grandeur of Roman history, such as 
I never felt before. 

We alighted at the Coliseum, walked around it, and then 
explored the interior. A sentinel was stationed at the entrance. 



170 OLD SIGHTS 



Size of the Coliseum— Greatness of the Romans— Byron's Lines, 

We clambered up the staircase to the top of the parapet, and 
then descended to the arena. The building is elliptical in form, 
620 by 513 feet, covering an area of six acres. The height 
of the outer wall is one hundred and fifty-seven feet. It was 
capable of seating 87,000 spectators. It was founded by VeS' 
pasian a. d. 12, and completed by Titus, a. d. 80. In the middle 
ages it was converted into a fortress. For nearly two hundred 
years it supplied the Roman princes with materials for their 
palaces. It is calculated that two thirds of the original build' 
ing have entirely disappeared. Yet still its stupendous size 
awes the beholder like some mighty formation of nature that 
transcends the reach of human art. It impresses one with a 
profound sense of the greatness of the Romans. They seem to 
loom up before us through the mist of antiquity as a race of 
giants, and we feel that we are but grasshoppers in comparisoir. 
Kothing harmonized so perfectly with my emotions as the lines 
of Byron in Manfred : 

" I do remember me, that in my youth, 
When I was wandering — upon such a night 
I stood within the CoHseum's wall, 
jyiidst the chief rehcs of almighty Eome ; 
The trees which grew along the broken arches 
"Waved dark in the blue midnight, and the stars 
Shone through the rents of ruin ; from afar 
The watch-dog bayed beyond the Tiber ; and 
More near from out the Csesars' palace came 
The owl's long cry, and interruptedly 
Of distant sentinels the fitful song 
Begun and died upon the gentle wind. 
Some cypresses beyond the time-worn breach, 
Appeared to skirt the horizon, yet they stood 
Within a bowshot where the Csesars dwelt. 



WITH NEW EYES. 171 

Byron's Lines. 
* * ¥r * ¥f 

And thou didst shiae, thou rolling moon, upon 
All this, and cast a wide and tender light 
Which softened down the hoar austerity 
Of rugged desolation, and filled up 
As 'twere anew, the gaps of centuries ; 
Leaving that beautiful which still was so. 
And making that which was not, till the place 
Became religion, and the heart ran o'er 
With silent worship of the great of old I — 
The dead but sceptred sovereigns, who still rule 
Our spirits /rem their urns." 



172 OLD SIGHTS 



Gibbon's Designation— Piazza of St. Peter's. 



CHAPTER XXL 



The Basilica of St. Peter's is designated by Gibbon as "tbe 
most glorious structure tbat ever has been applied to the use of 
religion." Byron bas well described the emotions which it is 
fitted to awaken in the breast of the visitor. 

" But thou, of temples old, or altars new, 
Standest alone — with nothing like to thee — • 
Worthiest of God, the Holy and the True, 
Since Zion's desolation, when that He 
Forsook His former city, what could be 
Of earthly structures, in His honor pUed, 
Of a sublimer aspect? Majesty, 
Power, Glory, Strength, and Beauty— all are aisled 
In this eternal ark of worship undefiled. 

"Enter: its grandeur overwhelms thee not: 
And why ? it is not lessened ; but thy mind 
Expanded by the genius of the spot 
Has grown colossal, and can only find 
A fit abode wherein appear enshrined 
Thy hopes of immortality : and thou 
Shalt one day, if found worthy, so defined, 
See thy God face to face, as thou dost now 
His Holy of Holies, nor be blasted by His brow.** 

The approach to St. Peter's is through the Piazza (or Square 



WITH new: eyes. 173 

Plan of the Building. 

of St. Peter's), an open space of vast dimensions, having a semi- 
circular colonnade on each side, inclosing an area of seven hun- 
dred and seventy-seven feet in diameter, and beyond that, 
covered galleries three hundred and sixty feet long, which join 
the vestibule of the Portico. In the middle of the Piazza stands 
the Obelisk q]^ the Vatican, a solid mass of red granite, eighty- 
three feet two inches in length, and eight feet ten inches in 
breadth at the base. It formerly stood in the circus of Nero, 
and was brought to Rome from Heliopolis, in Egypt, by the 
Emperor Caligula. It was removed to its present site by Pope 
Sixtus V. in 1586, and together with the pedestal and bronze 
cross on the top, is one hundred and thirty-two feet two inches 
in height. Two beautiful fountains, one on each side, throw 
their jets to a height of sixty-four feet, and pouring over the 
edges of their stone basins, sparkle and glitter in the morning 
sun with all the hues of the rainbow. 

The plan of St. Peter's is a Latin cross, with a gigantic Dome 
rising from the intersection. The front is a Grecian Fa§ade, 
consisting of three stories and an attic, with eight Corinthian 
columns, and four pilasters. Each story has nine windows, and 
heavy balconies, from which the Pope bestows his benedictions 
on the people, at Easter. The columns are eight and a quarter 
feet in diameter, and ninety-one feet high. On the attic are 
thirteen colossal statues, seventeen feet high, representing the 
Saviour and the twelve Apostles. The Fagade is three hundred ' 
and sixty-eight feet long, and one hundred and forty-five high. 
Five open entrances lead into the magnificent Vestibule, which 
is four hundred and thirty-nine feet long, sixty-five high, and 
forty-seven broad — and has an equestrian statue at each end, 
CoNSTANTiNE ou the right, and Charlemagne on the left. 
Over the central entrance on the inside, is a celebrated mosaic 



174 OLD SIGHTS 



laterior— The Dome— The Lantern. 



called the Navicella, representing St. Peter walking on the 
sea, sustained by the Sa\'iour, which was executed by Giotto, in 
1298. There are fiv^e doors leading into the Basilica. The cen^ 
tral one is only opened on great festivals. 

Lifting the heavy curtain which closes the doorway, we enter 
the interior. It consists of the Nave^ six hundred and twelve 
feet in length, one hundred and thirty-one in width, including 
the side aisles, one hundred and fifty in height, and the Tran^ 
septs, whose leng-th fi'om wall to wall is four hundred and forty-- 
five feet. The ceiling of the Nave is vaulted and ornamented 
with sunk coffers, richly decorated. Eight massive piers, sup- 
porting four arches, separate the Il^ave from each side aisle. The 
walls and piers are faced with plates of marble, richly varied 
with medallions, and other sculptures. The Dome rests on four 
pillars, each two hundred and thirty-two feet in circumference. 
Each of these piers has two niches, one above the other, con^ 
taining statues of saints, and above them, balconies, in which 
their relics are preserved. Above these niches, on the spandrels 
of the arches, are four medallions in mosaic, representing the 
four Evangelists, with their emblems. On the frieze above, run- 
ning round the whole circumference, in letters six feet long, is 
the inscription in mosaic of Matt. xvi. 18, in Latin, beginning, 
" Tu es Petnis,^'' <fec. The Drum of the cupola is filled with 
thirty-two coupled Corinthian pilast-ers, and sixteen w^indows. 
The concave above is divided into sixteen compartments, orna= 
mented with gilded stuccoes and mosaics, representing the Sa^ 
viour, the Virgin, and various saints. On the ceiling of the 
lantern at the top is a mosaic of the Almighty Father — in the 
form of a majestic old man, with a venerable beard, floating 
upon the clouds, and Avith extended arms in the act of blessing 
all below. The height of the Dome from the pavement to tha 



WITH NEW EYES. 175 

^ The Baldacchino— High Altar— Famous Statue of St. Peter. 

base of the lantern, is four hundred feet — to the top of the cross 
outside, four hundred and thirty feet. Its diameter is one hun- 
dred and ninety-three feet. 

Immediately under the Dome stands the Baldacchino, or 
grand canopy, covering the High Altar. It is of sohd bronze, 
supported by four spiral columns, richly ornamented with gilding. 
It was cast by Bernini out of the bronze stripped from the 
Pantheon. Its height to the simimit of the globe and cross is 
ninety-three feet. 

Under this is the High Altar, which stands immediately over 
what is claimed to be the grave of St. Peter. Around it is a 
circular balustrade of marble, from which are suspended one 
hundred and twelve lamps, which are constantly burning night 
and day. A double flight of steps leads down to the shrine 
beneath. 

Near by on the right side, against the last pier, is the famous 
bronze Statue of St. Peter^ sitting in a chair, with the right 
foot extended, the great toe of which is worn down by repeated 
kissing. 

At the extreme end of the church is the Tribune- — a lofty 
throne and canopy of bronze, supported by four colossal figures, 
representing St. Augustine and St. Ambrose, of the Latin, and 
St. Chrysostom and St. Athanasius, of the Greek church. Here 
is the famous chair of bronze, called the Chair of St. Petei\ 
which incloses another chair, said to be that in which St. Peter 
and many of his successors officiated. We have the testimony, 
however, of some who have seen the chair, that it bears the 
Arabic inscription, " There is but one God, and Mahomet is his 
prophet !" It was probably brought from Palestme by some of 
the early Crusaders. 

It is not easy at first to appreciate the magnitude of St. Pe- 



176 OLD SIGHTS 



Magnitude of St. Peter's— The Mosaics. 



ter's. The visitor is always disappointed. It does not appear 
to him so vast as it has been represented. The guide tells him 
that the piers which support the Dome are just the size of the 
church of San Carlino, in Rome. He cannot believe it. But 
let him pace it, and he will find that it is even so. He is told 
that the cornice which runs along the edge of the ceiling, is 
broad enough for a carnage and two horses to travel on. He 
smiles at the extravagance of the statement. But when he 
mounts to the gallery and looks down upon the cornice, he sees 
it to be eight feet wide. The cherubs w^hich support the vases 
of holy water near the doors, appear to him like infants. But 
when he stands by them he finds that they are six feet high ! 
The statues of the saints in the niches, which at first appeared 
to be of ordinary size, are found on nearer inspection to be six- 
teen feet high ! It is only by thus walking from one part of 
the building to another, and examining and measuring objects 
in detail, that he begins to climb up to the conception of its 
magnitude. Each successive visit heightens the eflfect, till he 
soon ceases to wonder that three centuries and a half were re- 
quired for its completion — and that it is impossible to estimate 
the enormous amount of money that it has cost. The excessive 
sale of indulgences, which w^as resorted to for this purpose, is 
said to have excited that re-action which ended in the Refor- 
mation. 

It is impossible to describe or even enumerate the statues, and 
pictures, and monuments, with which the church is filled. I was 
lost in amazement at the inconceivable perfection of some of the 
mosaics. You see before you at a little distance, exquisite copies 
of some of the finest paintings in the world, such as Raphael's 
" Transfiguration," Domenichino's " Communion of St. Jerome," 
Guido's "Crucifixion of St. Peter," &c., &c., every line and 



WITH NEW EYES. 177 

Ascent of the Dome— Marble Roof. 

shade as perfect as in the originals. In the " Baptism of Christ," 
from Carlo Maratta, you see the ripples upon the surface, and 
the bare feet upon the sand through the pellucid stream. You 
cannot believe that it is in mosaic. It must be an oil painting. 
But on close inspection you discover that it is all composed of 
innumerable little pieces of stone and glass. Nearly all the oil 
paintings have been removed from St. Peter's, and mosaics sub- 
stituted in their stead, on account of their greater durability. 
For while canvas is perishable, and colors in oil liable to fade, 
these beautiful mosaics will retain their brilliancy, unaffected by 
the lapse of a thousand years. 

THE BASILICA OF ST. PETEr's. 

But, in order to form a correct idea of the immense size of 
St. Peter's, you must make the ascent of the Dome upon the 
outside. We improved the early morning for this purpose, so 
as to avoid the intense heat of the sun. Our guide had pre- 
viously obtained for us the necessary permission from the Car- 
dinal Secretary of State, which one of our party was required 
to sign, and thus hold himself responsible for the conduct of 
all the rest, and for any accident which might befall them. 
We enter a door in the left aisle and commence the ascent of a 
spiral inclined plane, winding around a hollow cylindrical tower 
in the centre, so broad and easy that horses traverse it with 
their loads ! Marble tablets inlaid in the walls meet the eye at 
frequent intervals, commemorating the various great personages 
who have made the ascent. The roof is of marble, and with 
its rows of houses for the workmen, its streets and gutters, its 
multitude of statues, and domes, and turrets, seemed like a 
village of itself upon the solid ground. Upwards of $30,000 



11$ OLt) Bian'i^s 



Yiew from the outside Gallery. 



are expended annually upon the necessary repairs* From thit 
height the pavement of the Piaz2a in front appears like a fine 
mosaic, the steps are not distinguishable; Above this roof 
some of the domes rise to the height of one hundred and fifty ^ 
three feet* 

We resume the staircase^ Which pilrsHeS its winding way 
between the double walls cff the Dome, and step out into the 
"first gallery on the inside at the bottom of the drum of thd 
cupola* The mosaics of the Evangelists, which appeated so 
perfect from beloW, are now seen to be composed of pieces of 
Btone as large as one's thumb-nail j and the pen in the hand of 
St. Mark is six feet long 1 Still higher up, and we come out 
into the second gallery atd look down upon the pavement of 
the interior, two hundred and eighty feet below. Then follows 
h series of ^g-2ag steps withiii the thickness Cf the dome, 
between its inner and outer shell, where we are obliged to bend 
our bodies to conform to the curvature as we ascend, till we 
reach the outside gallery, at the foot of the lantern, three hun^ 
dred and sixty-four feet above the pavement. From this point 
we can see the vast size of the Dome. Its ribs and corners are 
full of projecting iron points^ upon Which to stick the candles 
upon the great illuminations. Oh one side the whole city of 
Rome is spread out hke a map at our feet; Away in the dis- 
tance Stretches the desolate Catripagna, bounded by the seai 
Civita Vecchia is pbihted Out to us, the Pontine Marshes, and 
the mountain Soracte, to which Horace alludes in one of his 
odes — ' 

*' Yides ut alta stet nive candidum 
Soracte " 

Mariana, our guide, pointed out to us where the French had 



WITH K E 1V'- E T E g . 119 

'rhe late Siege— The Ball and Cross— Festival of St. Peter aftd St. Paul. 

their batteries, where they effected a breach in the walls^ and en-' 
teredi And to gire life to the description^ while we were looking,- 
a long column of French cavalry made their appearance, winding 
along the road outside of the wallsi With grim exultation he 
showed us the place where Garibaldi and Mazzini had their 
masked batteries, silently awaiting the approach of the enemyi 
The French thought to enter the Gardens of the Yatican, and 
thence through the covered passage which communicates with 
the Castle of St. Angelo. But a voltime of iiame burst forth 
in their very teeth, six hundred were killed at one discharge,- 
and they were obliged to retreat in dismay. Had their ammu- 
nition lasted, Mariano assured us that the French never would 
have entered Rome.- In his broken English h& described to us 
the scene in eoitncil •when it was proposed to make terms with 
the French, as they could hold otit no longer. All favored it) 
but Mazzini. He rose, and looking around him with hi^ 
glance of fire, exclaimed, " What / the French enter Home ? 
Never ! Never ! Stone ujpon stone P 

From this gallery we ascended by S.nothet staircase, which 
"Wound around the lantern to the foot of the stem which sup- 
ports the ball and the cross. Then tip a pel'pendicular iron 
ladder inside this stem, and squeezing through a narrow aper- 
ture, we are seated inside the copper ball upon the summit/ 
which was already becoming quite hot by the rays of the sun^ 
It is said that at noon-day in summer^ it is hot enough tc 
roast eggs/ 

We were so fortunate as to be at Eome dtiring the greatest 
festival of the year, viz. that of St. Peter and St. Paul, oh 
the 29th June. We attended vespers ill the eve preceding to 
see the Pope, who always is present on this occasion. The 
great Piazza was full of soldiers, and carriages, and people. A 



180 OLD SIGHTS 



The Procession— The Pope— Subterranean Chapel. 



line of Frencli infantry and . the Pope's Guards were drawn up 
on each side of the passage-way, from the central door to the 
nigh Altar. The Swiss Guards, in their picturesque costume, 
striped with yellow, red, and blue, plaited ruffs of muslin 
around their necks, vdth breastplates, and helmets, and hal- 
berds, were scattered here and there about the church. The 
procession entered. First a company of the Pope's Guards, 
then the Pope's attendants in red gowns, then a string of 
priests, and doctors, and cardinals, in white mitres, and, finally, 
the Pope himself^ borne in a magnificent chair of crimson and 
gold upon the shoulders of four men, with an immense fan of 
white ostrich plumes carried by a bearer on each side of him. 
The Pope had on a splendid gown of crimson embroidered with 
gold, a gilded mitre, and on his finger the Papal ring^ spark- 
ling with jewels of priceless value. As he drew near, a choir 
of singers struck up, the soldiers presented arms and knelt, 
and the crowd bowed themselves, some to the floor. I main- 
tained an erect posture, without molestation, save angry looks, 
and kept my eye on the Pope when not more than an arm's 
length, that I might read his countenance. His eyes were 
closed as if in prayer, but it seemed to me as if he dared not 
look upon such idolatrous homage paid to a mortal. He is a 
fine-looking man, with a pleasant expression, very much like 
his portraits, and as he passed he waved the first two fingers of 
his right hand on each side, bestowing the benediction upon 
the people with much grace and dignity. 

Upon this occasion we visited the Grotte Vaticane, or sub- 
terranean chapel, which retains the original floor of the old 
Basilica, and stands over the tombs of the early martyrs. It 
contains the tombs of Popes, Emperors, and Kings. It is 
affecting to see persons of high rank prostrating themselves 



WITH NEW EYES. 181 
The Silver and Golden Illumination— High Mass by th e Pope. 

before the statue of St, Paul, in one of the chapels, and kissing 
the feet with reverence. The bronze statue of St. Peter, in the 
church above, was also the object of great veneration. In 
honor of the occasion, it was dressed in the same way as the 
Pope. Crowds of people came up and kneeled before it, then 
pressed their foreheads to the well-worn toe, and then kissed it 
most devoutly. 

As the shadows of evening began to fall, we took our seats 
upon the pedestal of the Obelisk in the Piazza, to watch the 
process of the Illumination. Eighty men are employed in 
lighting the lamps. In consideration of the hazardous nature 
of their task, they receive the sacrament before they ascend, so 
that in case one loses his footing and falls, he may be sure of a 
prompt admission into heaven. There are two illuminations. 
The first, called the silver illumination, consisting of 4,400 
lanterns, begins at eight o'clock, and traces the outlines of 
every column, and cornice, and frieze, the bands of the Dome, 
and the cross on top. The s*econd, called the golden illumina- 
tion, begins at nine o'clock, when, at the first stroke, 1475 
large lamps are lighted instantaneously, and the whole building 
stands revealed in a blaze of light. 

The next morning we visited St. Peter's again, to see High 
Mass performed by the Pope in person. The number of per- 
sons in the church was much gi-eater than the evening before. 
It was curious to note the great variety of costumes, French, 
English, Italian ; military officers of diftei-ent grades ; the 
various dresses of the monks, friars, and priests ; the different 
orders of the Pope's household ; and the country people in 
holiday array, the peasant girls with their noble forms and 
stately gait, their dark brown yet clear and rich complexion, 
their jet-black hair beautifully braided, and their profusion of 

9 



ib2 OLD SIGHTS 



Picture Worship— Cardinals' Coaches. 



ornaments. On each side of the High Altar rows of benches 
had been arranged, rising as they receded, for the accommoda- 
tion of ladies of high rank and station. M}^ companions were 
thrown into rapture by the discovery of the beautiful Misses 
Paghliano, of Naples, and their mother the Countess, upon the 
seats near the altar. 

"We saw the Pope enter in the same manner as yesterday, 
heard him intone the gospel in a good clear voice, very dis- 
tinct ; then followed the concert of trumpets, interesting chiefly 
from the peculiar character of the music ; the Pope elevated 
the Host and the cross, turning around to all ; the cardinals 
kneeled before him, offering up incense in golden censers, the 
smoke rose upward in graceful wreaths, seeming to blend with 
the music, and ascend to the great Dome overhead, at the 
highest point of which could be discerned the Great Father in 
mosaic, as if contemplating the scene below, and gratefully 
accepting the offering. Even so ! thought I, this is all picture- 
worship/ a magnificent temple, choice sculpture, exquisite paint- 
ings, sweet music, gorgeous vestments, a splendid ceremonial 
— all appealing to the senses — and, to make the system complete, 
the object of their worship exalted over all, a God in mosaic. 

In passing out, the Pope stopped near the door to hear an 
address delivered to him, and then read a formal protest against 
all the enemies of the church, invoking the support and aid of 
all Catholic powers, and complimenting his dear brother the 
King of Naples for the countenance and protection extended 
to him in his late exile. 

We stand awhile upon the steps to witness the crowds of 
people and carriages that thronged the Piazza, saw the cardi- 
nals escorted to their splendid coaches of crimson and gold, 
and then followed the departing multitude. 



WITH NEW EYES. 183 



Extent of the Palace— Royal Staircase. 



CHAPTER XXII 



The Pope's Palace of the Vatican is an immense collection 
of buildings, with courts and gardens interspersed, which has 
been accumulating for more than a thousand years. Some idea 
of its extent may be gathered from the common saying, that the 
Palace with its grounds covers a space as large as that within 
the walls of the city of Turin. It has eight grand staircases, 
two hundred smaller staircases, twenty courts, and 4,422 apart- 
ments. One part of the Palace is appropriated to the residence 
of the Popes, but the greater part is occupied with chapels, and 
halls, and galleries, and saloons, and porticoes, and cabinets, 
which are filled with the choicest antiquities, and adorned with 
the finest paintings and statues in the world. 

The entrance is on the right of the Piazza of St. Peter's by 
the " Scala Regia^'' or Royal Staircase. This consists of two 
flights of broad marble steps, with columns and pilasters at the 
sides, so arranged as to deceive the eye by its perspective and 
appear much longer than it is. Groups of the Swiss Guards, 
in their picturesque costume, which reminded me of the parti- 
colored foliage of autumn, were ranged along at intervals. At 
the head of the stair case is the " Sola Regia,^^ or Royal Hall, 
which was built as a hall of audience for ambassadors. It is 
decorated with stucco ornaments, and carved with frescoes, 



184 OLD SIGHTS 



Sistine Chapel— Michel Angelo's Last Judgment. 



illustrating various events in the history of the Popes, such as 
the Absolution of the Emperor Henry IV. by Gregory VIL, the 
Massacre of St. Bartholomew, the Removal of the Holy See from 
Avignon by Gregory XL, &c. 

The next room we entered was the " Capella Sistina,'" or 
Sistine Chapel, so called from Pope Sixtus IV., who built it in 
14:13. It is a lofty apartment, 150 feet by 50, with a gallery 
on three sides. The sides and roof are covered with paintings 
in fresco, representing scriptural scenes. The most remarkable 
are Michel Angela's^ comprising those upon the roof, represent- 
ing scripture history, and the one upon the end wall opposite 
the entrance, the Last Judgment. The painting of the Last 
Judgment is sixty feet high and thirty broad. It was not de- 
signed by the great artist till his sixtieth year, and not com- 
pleted till after a labor of nearly eight years. The Saviour is 
seated at the head of the picture, with the Virgin at his right 
hand. Groups of angels fill the angles above. On the right 
of the Saviour is the host of saints and patriarchs ; on the left, 
the martyrs, with the s^^'mbols of their sufferings. Below is a 
group of angels, sounding the last trump, and bearing the books 
of life and death. On their left is represented the fall of the 
damned ; the demons are seen coming up out of the pit to seize 
them as they struggle to escape. Their features express the 
utmost despair, together with the wildest rage, anguish, and 
defiance. Charon is ferrying another group across the Styx, and 
is striking down the rebelHous with his oar. On the opposite 
side, the blessed are rising slowly and in uncertainty from their 
graves. Some are ascending to heaven, while saints and angels 
are assisting them to rise into the region of the blessed. It is 
a wonderful production of genius, though much of the original 
effect of the painting has been destroyed by the damps of three' 



WITH NEW EYES. 185 



Pauline Chapel— Ducal Hall— The Loggie— Frescoes of Raphael. 

centuries, and the smoke of the candles and incense, upon all 
occasions of public service. 

The Pauline Chapel (" Capella Paulina),^'' which likewise 
opens on the " Sala Regia^'' is also remarkable for two frescoes 
by Michel Angelo, viz. the Conversion of St. Paul, and the 
Crucifixion of St. Peter. 

Next we passed through the " Sala Ducale^'' or Ducal Hall, 
in which the Popes in former times gave audience to princesses. 
It is now used during the holy week for the ceremony of washing 
the feet of the pilgrims, and for the consecration of new cardinals. 

JSText came the Loggie. The word " loggia'''' means an o]pen 
gallery. These " loggie " are three porticoes, one above another, 
on the sides of the building, richly adorned with stuccoes, and 
arabesques, and frescoes. The second story contains the cele- 
brated frescoes which have given it the name of the " Loggia 
of Raphael." It has thirteen arcades, richly ornamented with 
stuccoes, and painted arabesques of figures, flowers, animals, 
mythological subjects, &c., and the roof is divided by the arches 
into different epochs of scripture history, and painted with cor- 
responding subjects. 

From this we passed into the " Stanze of Ra'phad^'' four 
chambers, covered with magnificent paintings in fresco illustrat- 
ing the establishment and triumphs of the church. The first 
chamber contains subjects illustrative of Theology, Philosophy, 
Poetry, and Jurisprudence, — the second, the Expulsion of He- 
liodorus from the Temple, the Miracle of Bolsena, the Attila, 
the Deliverance of St. Peter, all executed with amazing eflect, 
and regarded as the very finest productions in the whole range 
of art. The third chamber contains the Conflagration of the 
Borgo (a suburb of Rome), and several scenes in the time of 
Leo III. and IV. The fourth, several events in the history of 



186 OLD SIGHTS 



Tapestries of Raphael— Sepulchral Monuments. 



Constantine, viz. his Battle with Maxentius, the Cross appearing 
to him on the field of battle, his Baptism, and his Gift of Rome 
to the Pope. 

An adjoining gallery, though not visited in this connection, 
contains the famous " Tapestries of Raphael,^'' in two series ; 
one, representing the history of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the 
other various scenes in the hfe of Christ. 

The pictures in the Vatican Gallery are few in number (less 
than fifty), but the choicest works of art. They are arranged 
in four rooms. The Transfiguration, by Baphael, is generally 
regarded as the finest oil painting in the world. The Commu- 
nion of St. Jerome, the master-piece of Domenichino, ranks as 
the second. There are several others by Raphael, some of Gui- 
do's best, others by Titian, N. Poussin, Perugino, Paul Vero- 
nese, &c. 

" Galeria Lapidaria " is a long gallery, one thousand feet in 
length, occupied almost exclusively with ancient sepulchral in- 
scriptions and monuments, arranged in classes. It is like a 
walk through an ancient cemetery. On the right hand are the 
Pagan inscriptions, classified according to ranks and professions, 
from divinities to slaves. On the left are the early Christian 
inscriptions, found in the catacombs. Some of them are very 
touching. The constant reference to a life beyond the grave is 
in striking contrast with the hopeless grief expressed in the 
Roman monuments. Many of the inscriptions are accompanied 
by symbolical representations ; such as the well known mono- 
gram of Christ, formed by the Greek letters X and P ; the Fish, 
or the " <x^u?," composed of the initial letters of the Greek epi- 
graph, " Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Saviour ;" the Vine, 
the Dove with the oHve-branch, the Anchor, the Palm, and the 
Sheep. 



WITH NEW EYES. 187 . 

Specimens of Ancient Sculpture — Magnificent Museum. 

Next follows the " Museo Chiaramonti" which contains up- 
wards of seven hundred pieces of ancient sculpture, arranged in 
thirty compartments. It is impossible in these limits even to 
mention the most celebrated. They consist of bas-reliefs, statues, 
and fragments, allegorical, mythological, and historical, some of 
them exquisitely wrought in the finest marble. 

The ^^JVuovo Braccio,^- i e. ''Xew Arm," is a noble hall 
nearly two hundred and thirty feet in length, lighted, fi'om the 
roof, which is supported by twelve fine columns with Corinthian 
capitals. The floor is paved with beautiful marbles and ancient 
mosaics. It contains forty-three statues and seventy-two busts, 
the statues in niches, and the busts on columns of red oriental 
granite. The statue of JDemosthenes is one of the most cele- 
brated. 

Xext came the " Hemicycle of the Belvedere^'' consisting of 
five rooms filled with busts, a semi-circular gallery containing 
the Egyptian Museum, and three chambers containing plaster 
casts of the Elgin marbles, the recumbent Ilysus, and other 
statues in the British Museum. 

Then follows the "• Museo Pio Clementino^^'' without exception 
the most magnificent museum in the world. The entrance is 
a square vestibule, which contains the Torso Belvedere, a noble 
fragment by Apollonius of x\thens, and the Sarcophagus of 
Scipio, in which you may read distinctly the name of Lucius 
Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, great-grandfather of Scipio Africanus, 
who was Consul B.C. 297. When it was first opened, in 1781, 
more than 2000 years after Scipio's death, the skeleton was 
found entire, with a ring upon one of its fingers. Then comes 
a round vestibule, with fragments of statues : then the Cham- 
ber of Meleager, so called from a statue of Meleager, with the 
boar's head and the dog ; and then the famous " Cortile di 



188 OLD SIGHTS 



Laocoon— The Apollo Belvedere. 



Belvedere,''^ i. e. " Court-yard of the Belvedere." This court is 
an octagonal space with a fountain in the centre, surrounded 
by an open portico with four small cabinets, which contain some 
of the most celebrated examples of ancient art. The first cabi- 
net contains the Perseus and the Two Boxes, by Canova. The 
second, the Belvedere Aniinous, the statue of a beautiful youth. 
In the third is the Laocoon, a group representing the father 
and his two sons in the folds of two huge serpents, which is 
mentioned by Pliny as standing in the Palace of the Emperor 
Titus. It is thus described by the author of Childe Harold : 

" Or, turning to the Vatican, go see 
Laocoon's torture dignifying pain — 
A father's love and mortal's agony 
With an immortal's patience blending : — vain 
The struggle ; vain, against the coiling strain 
And gripe and deepening of the dragon's grasp. 
The old man's clench : the long envenom'd chain 
Rivets the living links, — the enormous asp 
Enforces pang on pang, and stifles gasp on gasp." 

The fourth cabinet has the "Apollo Belvedeke," which, 
by universal acknowledgment, stands at the head of the sculp- 
tor's art, as the beau ideal of the human form. The attitude 
and expression have given rise to the supposition that it repi'e- 
sents Apollo Just after having shot the arroiu with which lie 
dew the serpent Python. 

I sat for a long time before this statue, trying to account for 
its celebrity, endeavoring to catch the spirit of Byron's fine 
description, 

" Or view the Lord of tlie unerring bow, 
The God of Life, and Poesy, and Light — 
The Sun in human limbs arrayed, and brow 
All radiant from his triumph in the fight : 



WITH N E T\' EYES. 189 

Hall of Animals— Gallery of Statues- -Hall of the Muses. 

The shaft hath just been shot — the avro\7 bright 
With an Imniortars vengeance ; in his eye 
And nostril beautiful disdain, and might 
And majesty flash their full lightnings by, 
Developing in that one glance the Deity." 

Yes ! it is not a mere representation of tlfe human form. 
There is life, soul, immortality, in the very attitude, in every 
feature. It is man, " in the image of God, after his likeness.''^ 

The adjoining " Hall of Animali; "derives its name from the 
sculptures of animals which it contains, mostly by Grecian 
artists, in which department they attained a high degree of 
excellence. The hall is divided by the vestibule into two parts, 
and paved chiefly with mosaics from Palestrina. Among the 
most remarkable objects in this collection I have noted Her- 
cules leading away Cerberus ; a Camel's head ; a Crocodile ; a 
Sphynx in flowered alabaster ; a Sow and Pigs ; the head of 
an Ass crowned with Ivy ; Hercules slaying two Greyhounds 
making love ; Mithras stabbing the Bull ; a Stag in flowered 
alabaster ; a Lion in yellow breccia, with the teeth and tongue 
of different marble ; a large Lion in grey marble ; another 
with a ball under his paw ; Europa and the Bull ; Hercules 
and the Nemaean Lion ; Diomed and his horses slain by Her- 
cules, &:c. 

Then succeeds the " Gallery of Statues,''^ the most celebrat- 
ed ornament of which is the " Sleeping Ariadne ;" the ^^ITall 
of Busts" consisting of three chambers ; " the Cabinet of the 
Masks^'' with its fine mosaic pavement, found in Hadrian's 
Villa, and its beautiful statues of Paris, Minerva, Ganymede, 
Adonis, and the " Crouching Yenus " just from the bath. 

We next enter the " Hall of the Muses,'" adorned with six- 
teen Corinthian columns, found in Hadrian's Yilla. Nearly 

9* 



190 OLD SIGHTS 



Porphyry Vase— Immense Sarcophagi— Etruscan Antiquities. 

all the statues and busts in this hall were found together in 
the villa of Cassius at Tivoli. Here you are admitted into 
the society of Apollo and the Nine Muses, the " Seven Wise 
Men of Greece," and her most celebrated sages, orators, and 
poets. 

Xext is the " Circular Hall^'' in the centre of which stands 
the great porphyry vase, forty-two and a half feet in circum- 
ference, which was found in the " Baths of Titus." Here also 
is a very fine head of Hadrian. 

Then comes the '''•Hall of the Greek Cross^^ a noble room, 
with a fine doorway, ornamented by two colossal statues in the 
Egyptian style, in red granite, found in Hadrian's Villa. The 
pavement is composed of ancient mosaics. The most conspicu- 
ous objects in this hall are two immense sarcophagi of porphyry, 
one the ^^Sarcophagus of St. Constatitia" the daughter of 
Constantine, the other, the " Sarcoj)hagus of the Empress 
Helena.^'' 

Next comes the '''-Hall of the Biga^^ a circular chamber, so 
called from the white marble chariot of two wheels with two 
horses yoked to it, which is preserved there. Its completeness 
is due to modem restorations. 

The '"''Museo Gregoriana " is a suite of rooms filled with a 
most extensive collection of Etruscan antiquities, such as funeral 
urns, votive offerings, small busts and profiles, sarcophagi, 
bronzes, household utensils, gold ornaments and vases, &c. 
One of the rooms has been fitted up as a fac-simile of an 
Etruscan tomb, with a low door, two vaulted chambers within, 
hung with vases, cups, and other sepulchral accompaniments, 
and the sarcophagus in its usual position on one side. 

The " Gallery of the Candelabra " is an imposing hall, up- 
wards of 1000 feet in length, filled with a miscellaneous <?ollec- 



WITH- NEW EYES. 191 

The Library— Museum of Christian Antiquities— Manuscripts. 

tion of antique candelabra, columns, statues, &e., arranged in 
six compartments. 

The " Gallery of the Maps " is a fine hall, four hundred and 
twenty feet in length, celebrated for its series of geographical 
maps painted on the walls in fresco in 1581, by Padre Ignazio 
Danti. 

At another time we visited the " Library T Passing through 
the '"'"Entrance Hall^'' where we saw a fine Egyptian Papyrus 
in a glass case, we enter the "■Chamber of the Scribes,''^ adorned 
with a series of portraits of the cardinal Librarians, and thence 
into the ^^ Great Hall^'' divided by pilasters into two portions, 
and decorated with fi-escoes, representing the history of the li- 
brary, the General Councils of the Church, and the buildings 
erected by Sixtus V. From this we enter the immense ^^Double 
Gallery,''^ consisting of eighteen rooms in long perspective. 
The books are in painted cabinets, or presses, at the sides, with 
closed doors, so that you might walk through the library with- 
out seeing a book. 

At the end of the left gallery is the '•^Museum of Christian 
Antiquities^^'' a collection of lamps, paintings, glass vessels, 
gems, personal ornaments, and other relics of the early Chris- 
tians, found in the catacombs. The second press contains a 
collection of various instruments of torture, by which the 
Christians sufi'ered martyrdom. Among the ancient vessels, 
we were shown cups used in the communion for the laity ! 

The Vatican library is famous for its choice collection of 
manuscripts. Among the most celebrated are the Greek Bible 
of the sixth century ; the Acts written in gold, and presented 
to Pope Innocent VIII. by the Queen of Cyprus ; a large He- 
brew Bible richly illuminated, for which the Jew^s in Venice 
ofi'ered its weight in gold ; the parchment scroll of a Greel^ 



192 OLD SIGHTS 



Manuscripts. 



manuscript of the seventh century, thirty-two feet long ; com^: 
mentaries on the Kew Testament of the fourteenth century ; 
the letters of Henry VLII. to Anne Boleyn; Tasso's auto- 
graphs ; Petrarch's autographs ; several manuscripts of Luther, 
ifec, &c. 



WITH NEW EYES. 193 

Palace of the Quirinal— Election of a new Pope, 



CHAPTER XXIII 



THE PALACFS OF ROME. 



The Pope has also another palace for his summer residence 
on Monte Cavallo, the highest part of the Quirinal hill. It is 
called the " Palace of the Quirinal," or the " Palace of Monte 
Cavallo." ^'Cavallo " is the Italian for horse, and the name is 
given to the eminence on account of the colossal equestrian 
group, commonly called " Castor and Pollux," which stands by 
the side of the obelisk upon the summit. 

A fine broad staircase leads from the court-yard to the apart- 
ments of the palace. Over the door of the large chapel is a 
bas-relief of the Saviour, washing the feet of the apostles. 
This chapel is fitted up in the style of the Sistine chapel. 
High mass is performed in it on great festivals, when the Pope 
resides here. Here also the Cardinals meet in conclave to elect 
a new Pope. When there is no choice, the votes are put 
through a hole in the wall into a small furnace contrived for 
that purpose. The square below is full of the Cardinals' car- 
riages, with their several friends anxiously awaiting the result. 
When the clock strikes twelve, all eyes are directed to the top 
of the funnel. If they see smoke coming out of it, then they 
know there is no Pope for that day, and they all go home. 
But if no smoke appears, all are in a flutter to know who the 
new Pope is. We stood in the balcony where the new Pope is 



194 OLDSIGHTS 



Private Palaces— Colonna Palace. 



first shown to the people by one of the Cardinals, after 
knocking down the temporary brick wall in front of the 
window. 

The French eagle appears on the walls in many places, hav- 
ing been put there when the walls were decorated for Napoleon. 
Among the pictures were Sanl and David, by Guercino, an 
£Jcce Homo, by Domenichiuo, a Madonna and Child, by Guido, 
St. Jerome, by Spagnoletto, and the Ascension, by Vandyke. 
The gardens in the rear of the palace are a mile in circuit, laid 
out in a very stiff and formal style. 

We also visited many of the private palaces for which Rome 
is celebrated. The plan is generally a quadrangle, with a large 
staircase opening into the court. The rooms of the first story 
are usually occupied as shops, or coach houses, or stables. The 
upper floors form suites running around the whole quadrangle, 
and often communicating with each other. Here are the apart- 
ments, and picture galleries, and audience rooms, and banquet- 
ing halls, wearing an air of faded magnificence, adorned with 
marbles, and frescoes, and gilding, but without much appear- 
ance of domestic comfort. Indeed, the greater part of the es- 
tablishment seems designed for public exhibition, rather than 
family use, and some princely houses derive no inconsiderable 
part of their revenues from the fees paid by visitors. 

The Palace of the Colonna family has a fine saloon, upwards 
of one hundred and fifty feet in length, adorned with painting 
and sculpture, and having a raised throne at one end, with a 
gorgeous canopy overhead. Here we were shown a cannon ball 
thrown from the French batteries in Janiculum, in the revolu- 
tion of 1849. The ball entered the windows, struck the marble 
steps of the throne at the opposite end of the saloon, shattered 
them somewhat, and then rolled about on the floor. The grey- 



WITH X E W EYES. 195 

Barberini Palace— Borghese Palace—" Vanity and Modesty." 

headed old custode described the noise which it made, and the 
alarm of the family. It was two hours after midnight. 

As we entered the large yard in front of the Barberini Pa- 
lace, 'a company of Fj-ench dragoons were crossing it. Six hun- 
dred of them are quartered here. It is celebrated for its wind- 
ing marble staircase. The saloon of the lii-st floor is remarkable 
tor the frescoes on its ceiling, consisting of allegorical represent- 
ations of the glory of the Barberini family. Through an iron 
door in the side of the stairway, we were admitted into the 
private apartments, where among the paintings we saw three 
female portraits of exquisite beauty ; the *• Fo marina,'''' by Ra- 
phael ; " V Esclave,^'' by Titian ; and '* Beatrice Cenci,''^ by 
Guido Reni. Here were also some fine portraits by Holbein, 
and landscapes by Albano. 

The Borghese Palace is an immense building, and has the 
finest collection of paintings in Rome. They are arranged in 
nine apartments, adorned with gilding and marbles, and spark- 
ling fountains, and finished with lounges, and chairs, and cata- 
logues, for the accommodation of visitor's. Here are some of 
the choicest works of Raphael, Correggio, Domenichino, Rubens, 
Paul Veronese, Andrea del Sarto, Giuho, Romano (fcc. One of 
the most interesting is the Entombment of Christ, by Raphael. 
Two men are bearing the Saviour to the sepulchre. Around the 
corpse are Peter, John, and Mary Magdalene, with varied and 
characteristic expressions of intense giief. On the other side, 
the Virgin Mary has fainted in the arms of her attendants. 

The Palace Sciarra has the most select gallery in Rome. 
One of the most beautiful pictures is " Vanity and Modesty^'' 
by Leonardo da Vinci. Another that generally fixes the atten- 
tion is " The Cheating Gamblers,''' by Caravagg-io. 

The Palace Doria di Pamfili is an immense building, 



196 OLD SIGHTS 



Statue of Pompey— Guide's Aurora. 



entered from the " Corso," the principal street of Rome, and has 
a very extensive collection of paintings. 

The Palace Corsini, in the Transtevere, is one of the hand- 
somest in Rome. It looks out upon Janiculum. Here we saw 
where Garibaldi's house was destroyed, but afterwards re-built. 
Among the paintings, I ha\^e noted a fine '-''Ecce Homo^'' by 
Guido ; another by Carlo Dolci, and still another by Domeni- 
chino. 

The Palace Spada contains the celebrated " Statue of Pom- 
'pey^'' a colossal figure holding the globe. It is supposed to be 
the statue which originally stood in the Curia of Pompey, at 
whose base " great Caesar fell," thus apostrophized by Lord 
Byron : 

"And thou, dread statue ! yet existent in 
The austerest form of naked majesty, 
Thou who beheldest 'mid the assassin's din, 
At thy bathed base the bloody Csesar lie, 
Folding his robe in dying dignity, 
An offering to thine altar from the queen 
Of gods and men, great Nemesis !" 

The adjoining walls were pierced by the balls fi'om the French 
batteries in the late siege. 

The Palace Rospigliosi is famous for the '•''Aurora of Guido" 
a painting in fresco upon the ceiling of the casino, or garden- 
house. It was painted three hundred years ago, but is still 
bright and beautiful. In the adjoining room are ^''The Expul- 
sion from Paradise,^'' by Domenichino ; the " Triumphs of Da- 
vid,^'' by the same artist ; the '•''Death of Samson,''^ by Lodovico 
Caracci ; the " Head of Guido,''^ by himself, and many others. 

These may serve as specimens of the Roman palaces, of 
which no less than seventy-five are enumerated by Vasi. 



WITH NEW EYES. 197 

Basilica— Theatre of Marcellus— Ponte Rotto. 



CHAPTER XXI Y. 

BASILICAS AND CHURCHES OF ROME. 

The term '■'■Basilica^^'' ^vhicii literally signifies " a royal resi- 
dence," was applied by the Romans to those public buildings 
which were used for the administration of justice and the tran- 
saction of business. On the establishment of the Christian 
faith, the first churches appear to have been built on the same 
plan, and were therefore called by the same name. Of these 
primitive foundations, which have peculiar prmleges attached 
to them, there are seven in Rome ; four within the walls — St. 
Peter's, St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, and Santa 
Croce in Gerusalemme ; and three beyond the walls — San Paolo, 
San Lorenzo, and San Sebastiano. 

Early on the morning of the 29th of June, we set out on an 
excursion to the Basilica of Sa^' Paolo, without the walls. 
The way is lined with objects of interest. We passed the an- 
cient Theatre of Marcellus, built by Augustus, and dedicated 
to the young Marcellus, now mostly in ruins, and occupied by 
the Palace of Francesco Orsini, Senator of Rome. The house 
of RiENzi, Tribune of Rome, was pointed out to us, now con- 
verted into a stable ! From the banks of the Tiber we saw the 
ruins of the first Pinte Rotto^ the stone bridge built in Rome 
(b.c. 142), three arches and part of another remaining. It was on 
the site of Pons Palatinus. Xear by is the only island of the 



198 OLD SIGHTS 



Temple of Fortuna Yirilis— Pyramid of Caius Cestius— Grave of Keats. 

Tiber, with tlie cliurch of San Bartolommeo upon it, built on 
the ruins of the celebrated Temple of ^sculajDius. 

ISTear the Ponte Rotto is the Temple of Fortuxa Virilis, 
orio-inallv built bv Servius Tullius, an oblono- buiidinof of tra- 
vertine and tufa, \vith a portico of four Ionic columns, now 
walled in, and seven columns on the side. Adjoining is the 
Temple of Yesta, a beautiful circular building, in the purest 
Greek style, siuTounded by a peristyle of twenty Corinthian 
columns, of which one only has been lost. One pillar was 
shattered by a ball from the French batteries in 1849. 

We passed out through the Porta San Paolo, anciently the 
Porta Ostiensis. Near by is the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, now 
included in the walls, the only pyramid in Rome. It is one 
hundred and twenty-five feet in height, and one hundred in 
breadth at the base, and composed of brick and tufa, covered 
externally with slabs of white marble, now black with age. In 
the centre is a small chamber, twenty by fifteen feet, and sixteen 
feet high, with a stucco ceiling covered with arabesques, repre- 
senting four female figures surrounding a Victory, with vases 
and candelabra. There are two ancient inscriptions on the 
monument, one recording the name and titles of Caius Cestius, 
the other recording the completion of the pyramid in three 
hundred and thirty days. 

Close at hand is the Protestant Burial Ground, where are 
the graves of the celebrated anatomist, John Bell, and the poets 
Shelley and Keats. Over the grave of Keats is the following in- 
scription : " This grave contains all that was mortal of a young 
Enghsh poet, who, on his dying bed, in the bitterness of his 
heart at the malicious power of his enemies, desired these words 
to be engraven on his tomb-stone, * Here hes one, whose name 
was writ in water.' February 24, 1821." 



WITH NEW EYES. 199 
San Paolo— The Wrathful Sergeant. 

After a ride of four miles on the ancient road to Ostia, 
we reached the Basilica of San Paolo. The first basilica 
upon this spot, which is supposed to have been the burial- 
I3lace of the apostle Paul, was founded by Constantine. An- 
other was built by the emperor Theodosius, in 386, and res- 
tored in the eighth century by Leo III. This was one 
of the most interesting objects at Rome to every traveller, 
a perfect museum of Christian antiquities. But in 1824 the 
roof took fire during some repairs, and fell into the aisles, 
where the heat became so great as to split and calcine the 
columns, until the whole was a heap of ruins. Since then, large 
sums of money have been contributed by the Catholic sove- 
reigns and princes, and by each successive Pope, for the restora- 
tion of the building, and the work is now in progress. We 
were shown seven beautiful columns of alabaster from Egypt, — 
four in one piece each, and three each in three pieces — a pre- 
sent from the Grand Sultan. The nave is supported by forty 
columns of Simplon granite. The gallery is to be adorned with 
portraits of all the Popes upon the front in mosaic. 

While I was innocently making a note in my " hand book" 
with a long pencil, I heard a great jabbering at the other end 
of the building, and looking up saw the sergeant on guard who 
escorted us, apparently in a great passion, talking furiously to 
Mariano, our guide, and gesticulating violently in the direction 
where I was standing. He thought I was taking a sketch of 
the building, which is strictly prohibited, and in answer to all 
Mariano's explanations, that I was simply marking passages in 
a printed book, he kept reiterating the ground of suspicion, 
" But don't you see the pencil !" The sight of my book, how- 
ever, pacified him, and the douceur of a paul (about ten cents) 
transformed the wolf into a lamb. Mariano says, now that the 



200 OLD SIGHTS 



Magnificent Decorations— St. John's Lateran— General Councils. 

priests have come into power again, the Pope's soldiers like to 
show their authority. The transept and high altar are nearly- 
finished, and nothing can exceed the richness and magnificence 
of this part of the edifice — all paved and lined with the choicest 
marbles and alabaster, and the ceiling resplendent with gilding. 
The guards in attendance looked at us as if they thought we 
would bite pieces out of everything we saw. The adjoining 
cloisters of the Benedictine monastery are very curious, as an 
example of the monastic architecture of the twelfth and thir- 
teenth centuries. It is said that on account of the malaria the 
monks are compelled to leave this spot during some of the hot 
weather ; but Mariano says, " they would be well enough if they 
would not eat so much meat." 

At another time we visited the Basilica of St. John Lale- 
ran, so called from the name of a Roman Senator, Plautius 
Lateranus, on the site of whose house it was built by Constan- 
tine, in the fourth century. It was long regarded as the first 
of Christian churches, and still bears the inscription over the 
door, " Omnium urbis et orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et ca'put^'' 
i. e. " The mother and head of all the churches of the city and 
of the world." The chapter, or ecclesiastical society of the 
Lateran, takes precedence of St Peter's. The ceremony of the 
"joosses,so," or taking possession of the Lateran palace, is one of 
the first forms observed in the election of a new Pope, whose 
coronation invariably takes place in this basilica. It is one of 
the four basilicas which have a " Porta Santa" i. e. " holy 
door," which is walled up and opened once in twenty-five years. 
It is also famous for the five General Councils held here, viz. 
1123, 1139, 1179, 1215, and 1512. 

The front of the building has four large columns, and six 
pilasters, of the composite order, sustaining a massive entabla- 



W I T H K E W E Y E S . 201 



"V^irgin Mary and the dead Christ— *' Hoiy Staircase. 



ture and balustrade, on which are placed colossal statues of our 
Saviour, and ten saints. Between the columns and pilasters are 
five balconies ; from the central one the Pope pronounces the 
benediction on Ascension Day. In the vestibule is a marble 
statue of Constantine, found in his baths on the Quirinal. 

The interior has five naves, divided by four row^s of pier&. 
The roof and walls are covered with medallions and stucco 
ornaments. Niches in the piers contain colossal statues of the 
twelve apostles. The chief ornament of the nave is the Chapel 
of the Corsini, which is adorned with the richest marbles, the 
most elaborate ornaments, and gilding, and bas-reliefs, and 
gems, with a lavish profusion unequalled by any other chapel 
in Rome. The vault underneath contains a fine group in statu- 
ary, by Bernini, of the Virgin Mary and the dead Christ. 

On the opposite side, is the new chapel of the Torlonia 
family, upon which half a million of dollars has been expended. 
The silver candlesticks alone cost $18,000. 

Under a portico on the north side of the building is the cele- 
brated " ScALA Santa," •/. e. " Holy Staircase." In consists of 
twenty-eight marble steps, said to have belonged to Pilate's 
house, and to be the identical stairs wdiich the Saviour descended 
when he left the judgment-seat. None but penitents on their 
knees are allowed to ascend them, and so great is the multitude 
of visitors, that it has been found necessary to protect the steps 
by planks of wood, which have been renewed three times. On 
each side are tw^o parallel staircases, by which the penitents 
descend. In the chapel at the summit, called the " Sancta 
Sanctorum^'' i, e. "Holy of Holies," is a painting of the Saviour, 
attributed to St. Luke, and said to be an exact likeness of him 
at the age of twelve years. The chapel also contains a large 
collection of relics. It was while climbing, these steps, in order 



202 OLD SIGHTS 



Santa Maria Maggiore— Other Churches. 



to obtain an indulgence, that Lutlier thought he heard a voice 
like thunder, speaking from the depths of his heart, " The just 
shall live by faiths 

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is the third in rank, 
and one of the four which have a Porta Santa. It was founded 
on the highest summit of the Esquiline, a.d. 352, by Pope 
Liberius and John, a patrician of Rome, in fulfilment of a 
vision representing a fall of snow, which covered the precise 
space to be occupied by the basilica. This legend is represented 
in a bas-relief in the Borghese chapel. 

The interior is said to be the finest of its class in existence. 
It consists of an immense nave divided from two side aisles by 
a single row of thirty-six Ionic columns of white marble, sup- 
porting a continued entablature. The roof is flat, and divided 
into five rows of panels, elaborately carved, and gilt with the 
first gold brought to Spain from Peru, a present to Alexander 
VI. from Ferdinand and Isabella. On the festival of the As- 
sumption, August 15th, high mass is always performed in the 
basilica by the Pope in person, who afterwards pronounces from 
the balcony his benediction on the people. 

In addition to the seven basilicas there are fifty-four parish 
churches in Rome, and a great many others, making nearly 
400 churches in all, for a population of about 150,000. Some 
of the most interesting which we visited, are the church of San 
Carlo, in the Corso, which has at the high altar a large picture 
of S. Carlo Borromeo, presented by the Virgin to the Saviour, 
one of the best works of Carlo Maratta, also a mosaic copy of 
the Conception, by the same painter; — Gesui, the church of 
the Jesuits, one of the richest in Rome, decorated in the most 
gorgeous style, which contains a picture of the death of St. 
Francis Xavier, by Carlo Maratta ; a marble group of the Tri- 



WITH NEW EYES. 203 

St. Ignatius— Pinacothek— St, Francis Xavier. 



nity, by Bernardino Ludovisi ; an altar-piece of St. Ignatius, 
behind wbicli is the silver statue of the saint, and beneath the 
altar lies his body in an urn of bronze gilt, adorned with pre- 
cious stones. Two allegorical groups at the sides of the altar, 
represent Christianity embraced by the barbarous nations, and 
the Triumphs of Religion over Heresy. By the side of the 
high altar is the tomb of Cardinal Bellarmin, the celebrated 
controversialist of the Roman Church. 

Then there is the magnificent church of S. Maria degli 
Angeli, which occupies the Pinacothek, or great hall of the 
Baths of Diocletian, which was altered by Michel Angelo, for 
the purpose of Christian worship. It is in the form of a Greek 
cross. At the entrance is a noble statue of St. Bruno, by the 
French sculptor IToudoii, of which Clement XIV. used to say, 
" It would speak if the rule of its order did not prescribe 
silence." Among the paintings are the fine fresco of St. Se- 
bastian, by Domenichino ; the Baptism of the Saviour, by Carlo 
Maratta ; the Death of Ananias and Sapphira, by Cristofano 
Boncalli ; the Fall of Simon Magus, by Pompeo Battoni. 
Most of the altar-pieces were painted for St. Peter's, and were 
superseded by mosaic copies. 

S. Andrea al JVoviziato, on the Monte Cavallo, is a curious 
little church, built from the designs of Bernini. It has a 
Corinthian facade, and a semi-circular portico with Ionic 
columns. In the chapel of St. Francis Xavier are three 
paintings by Baiocco^ the Genoese painter, representing Xavier 
baptizing the Queen of India, and the death of i\\Q saint in 
the desert island of Sancian, in China. The chapel of St. 
Stanislaus Kostka has some paintings by David, the celebrated 
French painter, while a student at Rome. Under the altar is 
the body of St. Stanislaus, in an urn of lapis lazuli. 



204 OLD SIGHTS 



Descent from the Cross— Statue of Michael Angelo. 



Trinita de Monte, on the Pincian hill, is approached from 
the Piazza di Spagna by a magnificent staircase, one hundred 
and fifty feet wide, and composed of one liundred and fifty- 
three steps. It contains several fine paintings by Daniele da 
Volterra. The Descent from the Cross is his master-piece. It 
was executed with the assistance of Michel Angelo, and was 
considered by Poussin the third greatest picture in the world, 
next after Raphael's Transfiguration, and the St. Jerome of 
Domenichino. 

>S'. Maria sopra Minerva, so called from being built on the 
site of a temple of Minerva, is the only Gothic church in 
Rome. It contains a full-length statue of Christ, by Michel 
Angelo. The library attached to it is richer in printed books 
than any other in Rome. 



WITH NEW EYES. 205 



Pantheon, 



CHAPTER XXV. 

THE PANTHEON. 

" Simple, erect, severe, austere, sublime — 
Shrine of all saints and temple of all gods, 
From Jove to Jesus— spared and blessed by Time, 
Looking tranquillity, while falls or nods 
Arch, empire, each thing round thee, and man plods 
His way through thorns to ashes— glorious dome ! 
Shalt thou not last ? Time's scythe and tyrants' rods 
Shiver upon thee — sanctuary and home 
Of art and piety — Pantheon ! pride of Rome I 

A STRANGE spell comes over the soul, as one looks upon this 
noble temple, which rears its unbroken front of faultless sym- 
metry, in the midst of the filth and bustle of modern Eome, 
and reads the inscription upon the frieze, which shows that it 
was erected by M. Agrippa in his third consulate, b.c. 26. 
More than eighteen hundred years have passed away, yet there 
it stands, erect, entire, beautiful, sublime, as if invested with 
the attribute of immortality ! 

The portico is one hundred and ten feet long, forty-four deep, 
and is composed of sixteen Corinthian columns of oriental 
granite, with capitals and bases of Greek marble. Eight of 
these are in front, and the others in four lines behind them, so 
as to divide the portico into four porticoes. Each column is a 
single block, forty-six and a half feet in height, and five feet in 
diameter. On the frieze of the entablature is the inscription, 

10 



206 OLD SIGHTS 



Interior— Tomb of Raphael—" Sacred Napkin.' 



" M. AGRIPPA, L. F. COS. TERTIUM. FECIT." The whole is SUF- 

mounted by a pediment, wliicli still retains the marks by wliich 
its bas-reliefs were attached. In the vestibule on the left of the 
doorway, is a Latin inscription, recording that Urban VIII. 
moulded the remains of the bronze roof into columns to serve 
as ornaments of the apostle's tomb in the Vatican, and into 
cannons for the Castle of St. Angelo. No less than 450,250 
pounds weight of metal were removed on this occasion. A 
great part of the roof had been previously stripped by 
the Emperor Constans II. in 657. The bronze doors still 
remain. 

The interior is a rotunda supporting a dome. The rotunda 
is one hundred and forty-three feet in diameter, exclusive of 
the walls, which are twenty feet thick. The height from the 
pavement to the summit is one hundred and forty-three feet, 
and the dome occupies one half of this height. In the upright 
wall are seven large niches with columns. Between the niches 
are modern altars. Above the niches and altars runs a marble 
cornice, covered with rich sculpture, supporting an attic with 
fourteen niches, and a second cornice, from which rises the 
majestic dome, divided with square panels, originally covered 
with bronze. All the light comes through the circular opening 
in the centre, twenty-eight feet in diameter. The pavement is 
composed of porphyry, pavonazzetto, and giallo antico, alter- 
nately in round and square slabs. 

The third chapel on the left contains the tomb of Raphael. 
In the same chapel is the tomb of Annihale Caracci. Other 
eminent painters are buried in different parts of the building. 

One of the altars has a wooden chest, which professes to 
hold the " sacred napMn " with which the Saviour wiped the 
" bloody sweat " from his face — bearing the following inscrip- 



WITH IN-EW EYES. 207 

^ The Capitol— Palaces on the Top. 

tion : " Area in qua sacrum sudarium olim a diva Veronica 
delatum Eomam ex Palestina, hac in basilica annos centum 
enituit." 

THE CAPITOL. 

The Capitoliue Hill rises at the eastern extremity of the 
" Corso," and is ascended by a noble flight of steps. At the 
foot of the central steps are two Egyptian lionesses, in basalt. 
On the summit, at the angles of the balustrades, are two 
colossal statues in marble, of Castor and Pollux, standing by 
the side of their horses. On the right of the ascent, at the 
extremity of the balustrade, is the celebrated Columna Milli- 
aria, the milestone of Vespasian and Xerva, which marked the 
first mile of the Appian way. The corresponding column on 
the left balustrade sustains an antique ball, said to be that 
which contained the ashes of Trajan, and was formerly held by 
the colossal statue on the summit of his historical column. 

The summit of the hill is an open square, with palaces on 
three sides. In the centre of the piazza is the bronze equestrian 
statue of Marcus Aurelius. It is related that Michel Angelo 
once said to the horse, " Cammina P'' i. e. "go on," so life-like 
did it appear. "When it stood in front of the Lateran, in 1347, 
upon the occasion of Rienzi's elevation to the tribuneship, 
wine was made to run out of one nostril, and water out of the 
other. 

On the three sides of the piazza, are the three separate 
buildings designed by Michel Angelo. The central one is the 
Palace of the Senator ; that on the right, is the Palace of the 
Conservatori ; that on the left, is the Museum of the Capitol. 
(The Senator was one of the chief magistrates of Rome in 
later times, a sort of Mayor, and the Conservatori were his 



208 OLD SIGHTS 



Palace of the Senator— Palace of the ConserYatori— Protomeca. 

three judges. These palaces were built for their accommo- 
dation. 

The Palace of the Senator has a double row of steps in 
front, at the base of which is a fountain, ornamented with 
three statues, Minerva in the centre, and the others colossal 
representations of river gods in Parian marble, the Nile and the 
Tiber. The principal apartment in the palace is the hall in 
which the Senator holds his court. The tower contains the 
great bell of the Capitol, captured from Viterbo in the middle 
ages, which is rung only to announce the death of the Pope, 
and the beginning of the carnival. It commands one of the 
finest views of Rome and its vicinity. 

The Palace of the Conservatori contains many inte- 
resting works of art. Under the arcade on the right, is a 
colossal statue of Julius Csesar ; on the left, a statue of Au- 
gustus in a military dress, with the rostrum of a galley on the 
pedestal, in allusion probably to the battle of Actium. In the 
court are several interesting fragments ; a colossal marble head 
of Domitian, a fine group of a lion attacking a horse, a hand 
and head of a colossal bronze statue, Rome triumphant, two 
captive kings in grey marble, and the Egyptian statues of 
Ptolemy Philadelj^hus and Arsinoe, with hieroglyphics on their 
backs, &c., &c. 

The Protomeca is a suite of eight rooms, containing a series 
of busts of illustrious men, presented to the Arcadian Academy 
by Leo XII. One room has the busts of eminent foreigners ; 
another, celebrated artists ; another, eminent authors and dis- 
coverers; another, musicians and composers. One chamber 
has the monument of Canova, three female figures representing 
the fine arts, mourning his death. 

The Hall of the Conservatori consists of eight rooms, of 



WITH NEW EYES. 209 

Bronze Wolf— Fasti Consulares— Museum of the Capitol. 

which the first is adorned with paintings in fresco, from the 
history of the Roman kings, beginning with the finding of 
Romulus and Remus ; the second with subjects from the 
republican history ; the third from the Cimbric wars. This 
last contains the famous Bronze Wolf of the Capitol, supposed 
to date back to the earliest antiquity of Rome. The fourth 
room contains the celebrated Fasti Consulares, found in the 
Roman Forum, having a Hst of all the consuls and public 
officers of Rome, from Romulus to the time of Augustus. 

There are also two additional halls of pictures, and the Se- 
cret Cabinet, opened only on application to the director. 

The Museum of the Capitol, on the opposite side of the 
piazza, contains an interesting collection of antiquities. There 
are many fragments in the vestibule. One room is called the 
Chamber of Canopus, from the statues in the Egyptian style 
found in the hall dedicated to Canopus in Hadrian's Villa. 
Another is the Hall of Inscriptions, containing a collection of 
imperial and consular inscriptions, from Tiberius to Theodosius. 
Here is a square altar of Pentelic marble, with bas-reliefs in 
the oldest style of Greek sculpture, representing the labors of 
Hercules ; also the funeral altar of T. Statilius Aper, measurer 
of the public buildings, with bas-reliefs of the trowel, com- 
passes, plummet, the foot, and various instruments of his 
business. 

The Hall of the Sarcophagus is so called from a fine sarco- 
phagus of marble, respresenting the history of Achilles. 

On the wall of the staircase are the celebrated frao-ments of 
the plan of Rome in white marble, found in the temple of 
Remus, invaluable to the Roman topographer. 

The Gallery contains a great number of busts, and statues, 
and inscriptions. 



210 OLD SIGHTS 



Hall of Emperors— Hall of Philosophers— The Dying Gladiator. 

The Hall of the Vase is so called from a noble vase of white 
marble in the middle of the room, found near the tomb of 
Caecilia Metella. Here also is the celebrated Iliac table, con- 
taining* the history of the Iliad and the Fall of Troy ; the 
famous mosaic of Plinyh doves. 

The Hall of the Emperors contains seventy-six busts of the 
emperors and empresses, arranged in two shelves around the 
room in chronological order. In the centre of the room is the 
celebrated sitting statue of Agripinna, mother of Germa- 
nicus. 

Then there is the Hall of the Philosophers, containing 
seventy-nine busts of philosophers, poets, and historians; the 
Saloon, with numerous busts and statues ; the Hall of the 
Faun, so called from the celebrated Faun in roseo antico found 
in Hadrian's Villa ; and the Hall of the Dying Gladiator, so 
called from the celebrated figure of the Dying Gladiator. It is 
supposed to be one of a series illustrating the incursion of the 
Gauls into Greece. Whether it was owing to my own ex- 
cited feelings or to the intrinsic merit of the statue, or to the 
powerful description of the poet, I cannot tell ; but nothing of 
all I had seen in Rome aflfected me so deeply. The tears 
dropped like rain as I stood before it. 

"I see before me the Gladiator lie. 
He leans upon liis hand — his manly brow 
Consents to death/ but conquers agony, 
And his drooped head sinks gradually low — 
And through his side the last drops, ebbing slow 
From the red gash, fall heavy, one by one, 
Like the first of a thunder shower ; and now 
The arena swims around him — he is gone 

Ere ceased the inhuman shout which hailed the wi'etch who won. 
He heard it — but he heeded not — his eyes 



WITH NEW EYES. 211 

The Dying G-ladiator. 



Were "with his heart, and that was far away : 

He recked not of the life he lost, nor prize, 

But where his rude hut by the Danube lay, 

There were his young barbarians all at play. 

There was their Dacian mother : — he, their sire, 

Butcher'd to make a Roman holiday. 

All this rushed with his blood — shall he expire, 

And imayenged? Arise, ye Goths, and glut your irel" 



212 OLD SIGHTS 



The Roman Fornm— Lacus Cortios. 



CHAPTER XXYI. 



THE ROMAN FORrM. 



Between tlie Capitoline and the Palatine there is a small 
irregular space, which has been raised by the accumulation of 
soil from fifteen to twenty feet above the ancient level. Its 
modem name is the Campo Vaccino, or " cattle-field," from the 
use that has been made of it for several centuries past. Some- 
where within this hollow lay the Roman Forum, but its precise 
locality and true boundaries have been the subject of much 
controversy for the last three hundred years. Recent discover- 
ies, however, have satisfactorily determined its principal land- 
marks. 

It was between the Capitol on the west and the Arch of 
Titus on the east — about 630 feet in length, and from 100 to 
110 in breadth. iVt the eastern and narrowest extremity, about 
a third of the space was separated from the rest by a branch 
of the Via Sacra. This small portion constituted the Comitium, 
a place of public assemblies. The Lacus Curtius — the gulf 
which suddenly opened in the Forum, into which the heroic 
youth Marcus Curtius leaped, in order that it might be closed, 
— is supposed to have occupied the centre of the hollow. 

On the slope of the Capitoline hill is a massive wall of 
peperino (a kind of volcanic rock), a fragment of ancient Ro- 
man masonry, which now forms the substruction of the modern 



WITH NEW EYES. 213 



Fragments of Temples— Ar ch of Septimius Severus. 

prisons. Upon it are the remains of Doric columns, and an 
architrave belonging to the ancient Tahularium^ or Record 
Office. 

At the base of the hill are fragments of three temples ; the 
three fluted columns in the Corinthian style belonging to the 
Temple of Saturn. This point was settled by the recent dis- 
covery of the MilUarium Aureum^ or golden mile-stone of Au' 
gustus, at its base, which, as we know from numerous classical 
authorities, stood immediately below the Temple of Saturn. 

On the left is a portico, with eight granite columns, whicb 
is supposed to have been the Temple of Vespasian. On the 
right, behind the three columns, partly covered by the modern 
ascent and by fragments of marble, is a massive basement 
proved by inscriptions to have belonged to the Temple of Con- 
cord, erected in the time of Augustus. 

In front of this ruin stands the Arch of Septimius Severus <, 
which makes the north-west angle of the Forum. This was 
erected a. d. 205, by the Senate and people, in honor of the 
Emperor and his sons Caracalla and Geta, to commemorate 
their conquests of the Parthians and Persians. On the summit 
there formerly stood a car drawn by six horses abreast, and 
containing the figures of the Emperor and his sons. Each front 
has a series of bas-reliefs, representing different events of the 
Oriental wars. In one of the piers is a staircase of fifty steps 
leading to the top. The soil in which the Arch was half 
buried, has been excavated so as to lay bare the ancient pave- 
ment of the Elibus Asyli, by which the triumphal processions 
passed from the Forum to the Capitol. 

Along the left side of the Forum the line of the modern road 
is supposed to mark the position of the ^'•novoi tahernce,^'' the 
porticoes and shops of the traders. At the eastern end is the 

10* 



214 OLD SIGHTS 



Temple of Antoninus and Faustina— Column of Phocas— Cur ia Julia— Via Sacra. 

Temjile of Antoninus and Faustina, now the church of St. 
Lorenzo in Miranda. The inscriptions show it to have been the 
temple dedicated by the Senate to Faustina, the wife of Anto- 
ninus Pius, and afterwards also to Antoninus himself. It con- 
sists of a portico of ten Corinthian columns, six in front and 
two returned on the flanks. The columns are beautifully 
proportioned, and the frieze and cornice are exquisitely sculp- 
tured with griffins, vases, and candelabra. 

On the other side of the Forum, beginning from the Portico 
of Vespasian, we notice first the single column, called by Lord 
Byron 

•* The nameless column with a buried base." 

It is no longer nameless ; for in 1813 it was excavated to 
the base, and an inscription found proving it to be the Column 
of Phocas, and recording that a gilt statue of that Emperor was 
placed upon it by the Exarch Smaragdus, a. d. 608. 

Farther east are three fluted columns of Greek marble, which 
have been long regarded as models of the Corinthian style, sup- 
posed to be the remains of the Temple of Minerva Chalcidica, 
built by Augustus. The mass of brick-work behind the church 
of St. Maria Liberatrice is supposed to be the remains of the 
magnificent Curia Julia, or new Senate-house, erected by Au- 
gustus. Farther back, the church of San Teodois is supposed 
to mark tbe site of the Temple of Romulus. Along the line 
from the Portico of Vespasian to this spot, were the " veteres 
tabernce,''^ or shops which Tarquinius Priscus allowed to be 
erected in the Forum, and where Virginius bought the knife 
that saved the honor of his daughter. 

Entering on the Via Sacra, we notice a small circular build- 
ing on the left, now used as a vestibule to a church, which is 



WITH NEW EYES. 215 
Arch of Titiis— Palace of the Caesars— Seven Hills. 

supposed to have been the ^des Penatium. Xext is the 
immense ruin of the Basilica of Constantine. Close by is the 
Arch of Titus, erected in commemoration of the conquest of 
Jerusalem, the most beautiful of all the Roman arches. The 
Via Sacra is supposed to have passed under the Arch of Titus 
to the Meta Sudans, in front of the Cohseum. 

PALACE OF THE C^SARS. 

One fine evening just before sunset, we paid a visit to the 
ruins of the Cassars' Palace on the Palatine hill. Through a 
private house we obtained admission to a vineyard on the hill- 
side, at the further end of which appeared huge masses of 
brick-work in the form of arches, and corridors, and vaults, 
clothed with ivy and creeping plants, and diversified by laurels 
and ilex. Rude steps conduct to the summit, from which we 
had a fine view, and made out the seven hills of Rome. We 
were standing on the Palatine, the seat of the earliest settle- 
'ment in Rome, covered with the ruins of the Palace of the 
Caesars, in the midst of gardens and vineyards, the soil of 
which is composed of crumbled fragments of masonry, in many 
parts to a depth of twenty feet above the original surface. 
Bere were the houses of Cicero, Hortensius, and Clodius. Here 
Augustus erected his palace ; Tiberius enlarged it ; Caligula and 
Nero still farther ; and it was repeatedly re-built and altered by 
succeeding Emperors. 

The Capitolixe hill is north of us. There was the great 
Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, and the Citadel, and the Tar- 
peian Rock. 

On the east are the Quirinal and the Yiminal. The 
EsQuiLiNE and Ccelian on the south, and the x\ventine on 
the west. 



216 OLD SIGHTS 



Circus Maximus— Baths of Caracalla— Favorite haunt of Shelley. 

Below US on the west is the Circus Maximus, the scene of 
the Sabine rape. It was founded by Tarquinius Priscus, and 
rebuilt with unusual splendor by Julius Caesar. The number 
of seats was not less than 200,000. 

Towards the south-west are the Baths of Caracalla, and 
blue mountains and the sea in the distance. 

We left the Palatine, and proceeded on our way to the 
Baths of Caracalla, under the eastern slope of the Aventine. 
These are the most perfect of all the Roman baths, and except 
the Coliseum, are the most extensive ruins in Rome. They 
occupy an area not less than a mile in circuit. The external 
wall incloses a quadrilateral open area, of which the baths 
occupied nearly the centre. The mass of central ruins is six 
hundred and ninety feet long and four hundred and fifty broad. 
It comprises a multitude of passages, chambers, halls, porticoes, 
with vaulted ceilings, fragments of mosaic pavements, remains 
of aqueducts, and reservoirs, and conduits. Most of the walls 
have been stripped of their marble coating, and reduced to 
masses of brick-work. These baths have furnished some of the 
finest specimens of ancient sculpture which now adorn the re- 
positories of art — such as the Farnese Hercules, the colossal 
Flora, and the Toro Farnese, in the museum at Naples; 
and the Torso Belvidere, the Atreus and Thyestes, the two 
Gladiators, and the Venus Callipyge, of the Vatican, with 
numerous bas-reliefs, cameos, bronzes, medals, and other 
treasures. 

These ruins were the favorite haunt of the poet Shelley. In 
the preface to the " Prometheus Unbound" he says : " This 
poem was chiefly written upon the mountainous ruins of the 
Baths of Caracalla, among the flowery glades and thickets of 
odoriferous blossoming trees, which are extended in ever-wind- 



WITH NEW EYES. 217 

Tomb of Scipio— Columbaria. 

ing labyrinths upon its immense platforms and dizzy arches 
suspended in the air." 

Thence we proceeded to the Tomh of Scipio, the most 
ancient and interesting of all the tombs yet discovered. In 
1780 the tomb and its sarcophagi were brought to light, after 
having been undisturbed for upwards of twenty-one centuries. 
Several recesses or chambers were discovered, irregularly exca- 
vated in the tufa, with six sarcophagi and numerous inscriptions. 
In one of the recesses was found the celebrated sarcophagus 
bearing the name of L. Scipio Barbatus, now in the Vatican, 
and well known by models all over the world. We explored 
the recesses by the light of a candle, but found nothing save 
the inscriptions. All other memorials have been removed. 

" The Scipio's tomb contains no ashes now ; 
The very sepulchres he tenantless 
Of their heroic dwellers." 

In the same vineyard, a little farther on, is the Columbarium 
of Cneius Pomponius Hylas and of Pomponia Vitalina. 
These Columbaria are a kind of sepulchres, so called from the 
rows of little niches, resembling the holes of a pigeon-house. 
These niches contained the olloe or urns, in which the ashes of 
the dead were deposited. In some cases the names are found 
on the urns, but more generally in inscriptions over the niches. 
These Columbaria were set apart for the slaves and freedmen, 
-^.nd were usually near the tombs of their masters. 

And here we will take our leave of the memorials of ancient 
Rome. Without describing everything I saw, I have endea- 
vored to give the most interesting species of the various classes 
of objects. I have generally left the reader to his own reflec- 
tions. But I cannot close without saying, that the prevailing 



218 OLD SIGHTS 



Sad Memorials. 



sentiment of my soul while viewing and recalling these scenes, 
has been that of sadness. I mourn over Roman grandeur, not 
because it has departed, but because it was unsanctified. It 
was " without God," and therefore without a fitting aim, or 
guide, or end. All its splendor and glory cannot blind me to 
the truth, that it was also " without hope." Xo bright visions 
of immortality inspired its life, cheered its course, and irradi- 
ated its pathway to the tomb. Cold, dark, dreary, and deso- 
late was the grave into which Rome sank. 

" The Xiobe of nations ! there she stands, 
Childless and crownless in her voiceless woe : 
An empty wrn within her withered hands 
Where holy dust was scattered long ago." 



WITH NEW EYES. 219 

Departure from Rome— The Malle Poste— "Porta del Popolo." 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



ROME TO FLORENCE. 



Tuesday, the 2d of July, at about 6 p.m., we took our place 
in the Malle Poste for Florence, which was standing in the 
carriage-house in the rear of the Post-Office. The baggage and 
mail had been previously deposited ; the horses were then at- 
tached, we were dragged out and commenced our journey. 
The Malle Poste is a stout-built carriage with only one apart- 
ment for passengers, which resembles the coupe of a diligence, 
having but one seat facing the horses, and with glass windows 
in front and at the sides. Outside in front is a seat for the 
conductor. The team of four horses with bells attached is 
managed by a postilion in uniform, mounted on the rear leader, 
who improves every opportunity to magnify his office. The 
whole establishment, when in motion, presents quite an animat- 
ing spectacle — the horses dashing off at full speed, bells jingling 
merrily, the postilion in his gay costume with a feather in his 
hat, bobbing up and down, flourishing his whip, and vociferat- 
ing at the horses. As there is room for only three passengers 
inside, an early application is necessary to secure a seat. We 
had secured ours a week beforehand by registering our names 
and paying half the fare. 

We stopped at the " Porta del Popolo," to have our papers 
examined by the officer of the guard, and an additional im- 



220 OLD SIGHTS 



Pons Mllvius— Constantine and Maxentius— Roman Girl's Song. 

pression of the mitre and keys stamped upon them, and after 
travelling some distance upon a straight and dusty road, shut 
in by the high walls of villas and gardens on each side, we at 
length came out into 'the more open country. We cross the 
Tiber (which separated Etruria from Latium) by the Ponte 
Molle, a modern bridge, built on the foundation of the Pons 
Milvius. Here it was that Cicero arrested the ambassadors of 
the Allobroges at the dead of night, on their way to Catiline, 
with letters concerning the conspiracy. Here was fought the 
celebrated battle between Constantine and Maxentius, which 
Raphael has represented on the walls of the Vatican. Here, 
while addressing his troops before the battle, Constantine saw 
the cross in the heavens, with the inspiring motto, "/w hoc 
signo vinces.^^ From the parapet of this bridge the body of 
Maxentius was precipitated into the Tiber. Then the air re- 
sounded with the shrill clangor of trumpets, the clashing of 
steel, the shouts and yells of combatants, the frequent splash of 
horse and rider falling heavily into the stream below, till the 
"yellow Tiber" was red with blood. Now, how calm and 
peaceful the scene ! 

The shades of evening gather around us, as we wind over the 
undulating surface of the Campagna, from one elevation after 
another, taking our farewell view of the towers and cupolas of 
Rome. A feeling of unutterable sadness spreads over my soul 
as I think of the departed glory of the " Eternal City," the 
" mistress of the world ;" and in-voluntariiy I repeat the plain- 
tive strains of the " Roman girl's song." 

" Rome ! Rome 1 thou art no more 
As thou hast been ! 
On thy seven hills of yore 
Tliou sat'st a queen. 



WITH NEW EYES. 221 

Roman Girl's Song— Yolcanic District. 

" Thou hadst thy triumphs then, 

Purpling the street ; 
Leaders and sceptred men 
BoTved at thy feet. 

" They that thy mantle ^vore 
As gods TS'ere seen — 
Rome ! Eome ! thou art no more 
As thou hast been ! 

" Eome ! thine imperial brow 

Xever more shall rise, 
What hast thou left thee now ? 
Thou hast thy skies ! 

" Blue, deeply blue, they are, 
Gloriously bright ! 
Veiling thy wastes afar, 
With colored light. 

" Thou hast the sunset's glow, 

Rome, for thy dower. 
Flushing tall cypress bough, 
Temple and tower. 

"Yet wears thy Tiber's shore 

A mournful mien : — 
Rome ! Rome ! thou art no more 
As thou hast been." 

We pass throiigli La Siorta, and enter upon a country which 
bears marks of volcanic action. An extinct crater in the 
vicinity of Baccano contains a sulphurous pool, which sends 
forth exhalations that impregnate the whole atmosphere. The 
night air is heavy with pestilential vapors. We close the 



222 OLD SIGHTS 



Lacus Cimini— City of Viterbo. 



windows and muse in silence upon the dire malaria that 
infests this region. 

At Moriterosi we leave the Cam area (or province) of Rome, 
and enter upon the Delegation of Viterbo. From the next post, 
Ronciglione, we begin to ascend the steep volcanic hill of Monte 
Cimino, the classical Ciminus, whose dense forests served as a 
barrier to Etruria against Rome for so many ages. The road 
skirts the eastern margin of the Lago di Yico, or Lacus Cimini, 
of which Virgil speaks, 

" Et Cimini cum monte lacum" — 

The lake is about three miles in circumference, and has all 
the appearance of a crater. Ancient writers say that it was 
caused by a sudden sinking, during which a city called Succi- 
nium was swallowed up, and that when the water was clear, 
the ruins of this city might be seen at the bottom of the lake. 
We reach the summit of the mountain at L' Lnposta and then 
descend to Viterbo, which we enter about daylight. We read 
in our hand-books that " it is called by the old Italian writers 
the city of handsome fountains and beautiful women.'''' So we 
strain our eyes, as we pass within the frowning battlements and 
roll through the narrow and dirty streets, to see if we can 
discover anything to justify the appellation. At some of the 
corners gi-oups of sleepy-looking dolphins or dragons appear, 
lazily spouting streams of water, but the " beautiful women " 
are nowhere to be seen. We take a cup of coffee with our 
conductor at the Post-Office, and fall back upon the historical 
associations of the place for our interest. 

Viterbo is the capital of one of the most extensive delega- 
tions of the Papal states, the seat of a bishopric and the resi- 



WITH NEW EYES. 223 

Cathedral— Historical Associations. 

dence of the delegate. Its population is about 13,000. It is 
surrounded by walls and towers built chiefly by the Lombard 
kings. It is supposed to occupy the site of the ancient Farnum 
Voltumnce, where the Etruscan cities held their general assem- 
blies. In the 13th century it was the residence of several 
Popes and the scene of numerous conclaves of the Sacred Col- 
lege. Six popes were elected here. 

The Cathedral dedicated to San Lorenzo is a Gothic edifice, 
built, as supposed, on the site of a temple of Hercules. It was 
at the high altar of this Cathedral that Prince Henry of Eng- 
land was murdered by Guy de Montfort in revenge for the 
death of his father Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, who 
was killed in 1265 at the battle of Evesham fighting against 
Henry III. At Evesham the body of the Earl was dragged in 
the dust by the royalists. His son Guy de Montfort was present, 
and vowed vengeance against the king and his family for this 
outrage. No opportunity occurred for several years ; but at 
length an accidental visit to this city threw one of the young 
Princes of England in his way, on his return from the crusades. 
While the young Prince was kneeling at the altar during the 
celebration of mass, Guy de Montfort rushed upon him and ran 
him through with his sword. The prince instantly expired, 
and the murderer walked out of the church unmolested. He 
said to his attendants at the door, "I have been avenged." 
" How ?" said one of them, " was not your father dragged in the 
dust ?" At these words he returned to the altar, seized the 
body of the Prince by the hair, and dragged it into the public 
square. He then fled and took refuge in the Maremma. 

The Cathedral is also memorable for another historical inci- 
dent. It was in its piazza (or square) that Adrian IV., the 
only Englishman that ever wore the tiara, compelled Frederick 



224 OLD SIGHTS 



Montefiascone— Epitaph of Bis hop Johann Fugger— Lake Bolsena. 

Barbarossa, Emperor qf Germany, to humble himself in the 
presence of the papal and imperial courts, by holding his stirrup 
while he dismounted from his mule. 

Another post through a dreary and uninteresting country 
brings us to Montefiascone^ — situated on an isolated hill, crown- 
ed by an old castle of the middle ages, — an episcopal town of 
4,800 inhabitants, on the site of an ancient Etruscan city. The 
Cathedral, with its octagonal cupola, has an imposing air. The 
church of San Flaviano near the gate has a singular monu- 
ment in its subterranean chapel, in memory of Bishop Johann 
Fugger of Augsburg. The bishop is represented lying on his 
tomb with two goblets on each side of his mitre and under his 
arms. The following is his epitaph written by his valet: 
" Est, est, est. Propter nimium est, Joannes de Fducris, Domi- 
nus mens, mortuus est." It seems the bishop, while travelling, 
was accustomed to send on his valet in advance, to ascertain 
whether the wines of the place were good, in which case he 
wrote on the walls the word " est " (it is, i. e. it is good.) At 
Montefiascone he was so well pleased with its sweet wines, that 
he wrote the word est three times — Ust, est, est. The luxurious 
prelate drank so freely of the wine as to occasion his death. 
The best wine still bears the name of the fatal treble est. 

Leaving Montefiascone, we descended the hills of Bolsena 
through a wood, abounding in majestic oaks, formerly notori- 
ous for banditti. At frequent intervals we have exquisite 
views of the Lake of Bolsena, a beautiful expanse of water about 
twenty-six miles in circumference. The surrounding country 
slopes gradually to the water, and is in a high state of cultiva- 
tion. But not a single human habitation meets the eye of the 
traveller. iJ^fot a single sail rufiles the placid surface of the 
lake. He wonders at the universal soHtude that reigns, until 



WITH :j5-ew etes. 225 

Bolsena— San Loren20 — Acqua J)endente. 

lie learns that tlie treacherous beauty of the lake conceals 
malaria in its most fatal forms. The laborers dare not sleep 
for a single night in the plains where thej work by day. 

Two small islands in the lake are visible from the road, the 
largest called Bisenfina, and the smallest Mariana. The latter 
is memorable as the scene of the imprisonment and murder of 
Amalasontha, Queen of the Goths, the only daughter of Theo- 
doric, and the niece of Glovis. She was strangled in her bath 
A.D. 635, by the order of her cousin Theodatus, whom she had 
raised to a share in the kingdom. Some steps in the rock are 
shown as the stairs which led to her prison. Pliny gives a 
description of this lake under the name of the Tarquinian lake, 
and an account of two floating islands on it. 

Bolsena is a small town on the margin of the lake, occupy- 
ing the site of the Etruscan city of Volsinium. ' It is celebrated 
in the history of the Roman church, as the scene of the miracle 
of the wafer, which Eaphael has immortalized by his represen- 
tation on the walls of the Vatican. It is said to h^ve taken 
place in the church of Santa Cristina in the year 1263. A 
Bohemian priest who doubted the doctrine of transubstantiation, 
was convinced by blood flowing from the Host he was conse- 
crating. 

Soon after leaving Bolsena we pass the ruined town of San 
Lorenzo Hovinato, i. e. San Lorenzo ruined, surmounted by an 
old tower covered with ivy, a most romantic looking ruin. The 
old town was abandoned on account of the 'malaria, and a new 
town, San Lorenzo Kuovo, i. e. San Lorenzo ISTew, built on the 
brow of the hill by Pope Pius VI. at his own cost. This hill 
commands a fine view of the Lake of Bolsena, with its pictu- 
resque shores. 

Acquapendente, i. e. hanging ivater, so called from the num- 



226 OLD SIGHTS 



Mountain of Radicofani— Tuscan Dogana. 



ber of cascades tiiat dash over the precipitous mass of rock on 
which the town is situated, into the ravine below, is the last 
town in the Papal States. Our passports are again examined 
and sealed. 'We change carriages and couriers, and feel con- 
strained to keep a vigilant watch over our baggage during the 
operation, such a ruffian-looking set are standing aroand. The 
inn can furnish nothino; better than coffee and eo;crs, on which 
we make a late breakfast. Our new courier entertains us with 
stories of robberies recently committed in this neighborhood. 
Our Swedish companion examines his pistols, and is very much 
surprised to find that we have no arms with us. A long and 
winding descent amidst fine old oaks and terraces covered with 
vegetation, brings us to the river Paglia, which we cross by the 
Pont^ Gregoriano, and next arrive at Ponte Centino, the Papal 
frontier station and custom-house, where our passports and 
baggage are again examined. We cross the Elvella, which 
separates the Papal States from Tuscany, and commence the 
long and tedious ascent of the mountain of Piadicofani? We 
have now seven horses attached to our carriage, with two pos- 
tilions to guide them. The sides of the mountain are covered 
with enormous fragments of volcanic matter, and the whole 
aspect of the surrounding region is wild and dreary in the 
extreme. Far up the mountain is the village surrounded by 
strong walls, and higher still upon the very summit of the cone, 
which is said to be 2,4*70 feet above the sea, is the ruined castle 
of Ghino di Tacco, the robber-knight. 

At the Dogana by the road-side our baggage is again 
examined, our passports receive the endorsement " Visto buono 
per Firenze^'' i. e. " seen good for Florence," and the stamp 
Radicofani^ and over the whole to our admiring eyes the 
inscription " Gratis,^^ showing most unmistakably that we are 



WITH 2s EW EYES. 227 

Ricorsi— San Quirico— City of Siena. 

in a new country, and impressing iis most deeply witli a sense 
of the extraordinary clemency and boundless generosity of liis 
Excellency the Grand Duke of Tuscany. 

From Radicofani, a wild and dreary ride down the mountain 
to JRtcorsi. Thence over bare and desolate clay hills to Pode- 
rina on the river Orcia. Xext San Quirico with its Gothic 
church, the Chigi palace, and an old square tower of Eoman 
origin. Thence over the hills, crossing the Asso and the Tuo- 
ma, to Torrinieri. Thence a continuous descent, crossing the 
Pereta and the Seriate to Buonconvento situated near the junc- 
tion of the Arbia and the Ombrone. The ancient castle here is 
infamous in Italian history as the scene of the death of the 
Emperor Henry YIL The Emperor was on his march towards 
Rome in order to give battle to the Guelph party under Robert 
of Xaples, when he stopped here to celebrate the feast of St. 
Bartholomew, August 24, 1313. He received the communion 
from the hands of a Dominican monk, and expired in a few- 
hours, as is supposed from the effects of poison mixed in the 
consecrated cup. !Xight overtakes us still among these wild 
and dreary hills, till we enter the gate of Siena, and after 
threading its steep, narrow, and irregular streets, find entertain- 
ment at the Aquila Xera, i. e. Black Eagle, at 10 o'clock. 

SiEXA is the ancient Sena Julia. In its republican days it 
was the great rival of Florence, and could send an hundred 
thousand armed men out of its thirty-nine gates. Its commerce 
was extensive, the arts were encouraged, and it became the seat 
of a school of painting characterized by deep religious feeling, 
and a peculiar beauty and tenderness of expression. It is still 
the chief city of one of the five Compartimenti of Tuscany, the 
seat of an Archbishop, a military governor, of a criminal tribu- 
nal, and a civil Ruota. But only eight of its thirty-nine gates 



228 OLD SIGHTS 



Vicinity of Florence. 



are now open. Its population has been reduced to 18,000, and 
in some quarters of the city grass is gi'owing on the pavements. 
From Siena through Castiglioncello^ down the valley of the 
Staggia, through Poggibonsi^ a manufacturing town with a 
palace belonging to the Grand Duke, through Tavernelle^ San 
Casciano (in the neighborhood of which is the villa of Machia- 
velli), through a more pleasing country, the olive grounds, and 
vineyards, and gardens becoming more numerous as we proceed, 
till the Arno greets our eyes, and after riding along its banks 
for a short distance we arrive at Florence, " Firenze la bella, ' 
at 6 o'clock in the morning of the 4th of July. 



WITH NEW EYES. 22^ 

Situation of Florence. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

FLORENCE ITS PALACES, GALLERIES, AND CHURCHES. 

" Bnt Arno wins us to the fair white walls 
Where the Etrurian Athens claims and keeps 
A softer feeling for her fairy halls. 
Girt by her theatre of hills, she reaps 
Her corn, and wine, and oil, and Plenty leaps 
To laughing life with her redundant horn. 
Along the banks where smiling Amo sweeps 
Was modern Luxury of Commerce bom, 
And buried Learning rose, redeemed to a new mom." 

Florence (Italian^ Firenze), the capital of the Grand 
Duchy of Tuscany, has a population of about 100,000, and is 
situated upon the river Arno, about fifty miles from the sea. 
Its shape is an irregular pentagon, about six miles in circuit, 
enclosed by walls having eight gates. Three " quay'tierP^ (i. e. 
" quarters") are on the north and one on the south side of the 
Arno. The bed of the river is from three hundred to four 
hundred feet wide, and in the dry season contains very little 
water. It is very variable, however. Heavy rains, or the 
sudden melting of the snows upon the Apennines, will some- 
times raise the stream to a great height in a few hours ; so as 
to inundate the country and carry all before it. On the north 
and north-west, at the distance of a few miles across the fertile 
plain, rise the naked and barren ridges of the Apennines to the 
height of three thousand feet. On the north-east is the hill of 
Fiemle, covered with gardens and country-houses. On the 

11 



^oO OLD SIGHTS 



Bridges of the Arno— Flower girls. 



south the prospect is bounded by the gardens of Bobolij extend- 
ing along the declivity of a steep hill, crowned by the Fort of 
Belvidere upon the summit. 

Within the city, the Arno is crossed by four stone bridges : 
the Fonte delle Grazie, built in 1235, which has several dwell- 
ing-houses upon it ; the Ponte Vecchio, a century later, which 
is a street of shops, principally jewellers, goldsmiths, and 
workers in metals, and over which runs a covered gallery con- 
necting two of the Grand Duke's palaces on opposite sides of 
the river ; the Ponte de Sta Trlnita {i. e. Bridge of the Holy 
Trinity), built in 1569, adorned with four marble statues 
representing the four Seasons ; and the Ponte alia Carraja, the 
most westerly. 

We entered Florence by the Porta Romana^ and crossing 
the Ponte de Sta Trinita, put up at the Hotel du Nord. After 
seeing to our rooms, we sallied forth into the streets, and had 
hardly stepped upon the pavement before we were saluted by 
a yoimg and pretty flower-girl, in the becoming costume of the 
country, with a broad trimmed Tuscan hat tied under her chin, 
and set back upon her head, who insisted upon furnishing us 
all with bouquets. She would take no refusal, but actually 
forced them upon us, arranging them with her own hands in 
our button-holes, and would receive no compensation ; at which 
we greatly wondered, till we learned the customs of the place. 
There are several of these flower-girls, who make it their busi- 
ness to keep visitors supplied with flowers during their con- 
tinuance here, and with the expectation of a remembrancer at 
the time of departure. As you are about to get into the dili- 
gence, your favorite greets you with her sweetest smile, and 
hands you her parting bouquet, the choicest of all, and you hand 
her perhaps a scudo (about a dollar) in return. 



WITH NEW EYES. 231 



Doney's Cafe— Palazzo Pitti— Pictures— Allegorical Painting in Fresco. 

After breakfasting at Doney's famous ca/e, where one can get 
a cup of excellent coffee, the nicest bread and butter, and a 
boiled ^gg for a ;paid (about ten cents), we commenced our 
tour of exploration. We were struck by the massive character 
of the buildings, crowned with heavy cornices, the smooth flag- 
ging of the streets, and the general air of leisure and courtesy 
which seemed to pervade the city. Our first visit was to the 

PALAZZO PITTI. 

This is the chief residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. 
It stands upon high ground, with an open square before it, and 
presents a vast extended front of solid massive architecture. At 
the time of our visit the Grand Duke was absent in the. country, 
and through the kindness of one of our company, we obtained 
admission into the private apartments. Some of the rooms are 
magnificently furnished. One was lined with white satin, em- 
broidered by the former Duchess. 

But the chief attraction of the Palace is the collection of 
pictures, which is considered on the whole as the finest in the 
world. They are contained in a series of splendid apartments 
(fifteen or sixteen in number), which are generally named after 
the subjects painted in fresco upon the ceilings. Five of them 
were painted by Pietro da Cortona, the nephew of Michel 
Angefo Buonarotti, about the year 1640, and each of these 
is denominated from the planet which denoted one of the vir- 
tues of Cosmo I., the founder of the Grand-ducal dynasty of 
Tuscany. The first of these rooms is the Rail of Venus, 
representing the triumph of Reason over Pleasure. Minerva 
rescues a youth (who stands for Cosmo I.) and conducts him to 
Hercules. Among the pictures are a fine allegorical painting 



232 OLD SIGHTS 



Salvator Rosa— Michel Angelo— Leonardo da Vinci. 



by Salvator Bosa, representing Falsehood by a man holding a 
mask ; two very large and magnificent Coast views, by the 
same artist ; two fine landscapes, by Ruhens ; and the portrait 
of a lady in a rich dress, by Titian. 

Next is the Hall of Apollo, the ceiling of which represents 
the tutelary deity of Poetry and the Fine Arts, receiving Cosmo, 
guided to him by Virtue and Glory. Some of the pictures are, 
the Supper at Emmaus, by Palma Vecckio ; a Virgin and Child, 
by Miirillo ; the Deposition from the Cross, by Andrea del 
Sarto; a portrait of himself, by Rembrandt ; two fine portraits, 
by Raphael; and a noble picture by the same artist, of Leo X. 
with two cardinals. 

Next is the Hall of Mars, the ceiling of which illustrates 
Cosmo's success in war. Here is Raphael's celebrated Madonna 
della Seggiola {i. e. " the Madonna of the Chair"), so often 
copied and engraved ; a noble portrait of Cardinal Bentivoglio, 
by Vandyke; EaphaePs Holy Family (" del' impannata,") and 
a fine picture by Ruhens, of his own portrait, with that of his 
brother, and the two philosophers, Lipsius and Grotius, and the 
Consequences of War, a large and impressive picture by Ru- 
hens. 

The Hall of Jupiter comes next. The ceiling depicts Hercu- 
les and Fortune introducing Cosmo to Jove, from whom he 
receives a crown of Immortality. Here is the Catihne Con- 
spiracy, by Salvator Rosa, sl company of fierce and dissolute 
men with a great variety of expression ; a grand picture of the 
Three Fates, by Michel Angelo, one of the three painted in 
oil by this great master ; a lovely portrait of a female, by 
Leonardo da Vinci, (fee, (fee. 

The Hall of Saturn represents Cosmo, now in mature age, 
conducted by Mars and Prudence to receive the crown offered 



WITH NEW EYES. 233 

Tandyke— Raphael— Domenichino, &c.— Canova's Venus. 

by Glory and Eternity. Here is a fine portrait of Charles I. 
(of England), and Henrietta his Queen, by Vandyke; Pope 
Julius H. by Baj^hael; the Death of Abel, by Schiavone; Mary 
Magdalene, by Domenichino; the Descent from the Cross, by 
Perugino ; the Madonna del Baldacchino, by Raphael ; the 
head of an old man, by Annihale Caracci; Raphael's Vision of 
Ezekiel, and many others. 

Next is the Hall of the Iliad^ representing on the ceiling 
many of the scenes of the Homeric poem, and containing 
pictures by Salvator Rosa, Titian, &c., and two fine Assump- 
tions, by Andrea del Sarto. 

Adjoining this is an elegant cabinet, the walls of which are 
painted with allegories of the four ages of man, and the four 
ages of the world, and the vaulting with the Virtues and 
Fame. 

Next comes the Hall of the Education of Jupiter, containing 
some of RaphaeVs, a Carlo Dolce, and others ; next the Hall of 
Ulysses, which has a very fine portrait of Oliver Cromwell, by 
Sir Peter Lely, painted expressly as a present to the Grand 
Duke of Tuscany, and sent by the Protector in his lifetime ; 
next the Hall of Justice ; next the Hall of Flora, which con- 
tains Canova's Venus ; next the Hall " deiPutti," which has a 
fine picture by Salvator Rosa, representing the story of Dio- 
genes throwing away his cup on seeing a boy drink out of his 
hand ; next the Gallery of Pocetti, then the Music-room, the 
Pavilion, and the Gallery of Hercules. 

This visit to the Palazzo Pitti seemed more like an enchant- 
ing dream than an actual reality. There was nothing to break 
the spell. No grim sentinel withstood our progress. Every 
door opened at our bidding. No troublesome custode hurried 
us from one apartment to another, or extended his hand for the 



284 OLD SIGHTS 



Palazzo Pitti— Boboli Gardens— Museum of Natural History— Galileo's Temple. 

customary fees. Luxurious seats invited to repose, wlien tired 
of standing, and strains of delicious music came floating through 
the open windows from the Austrian band in the court below. 
I carried away with me from that gallery of pictures images of 
beauty and majesty, which have been my cherished companions 
ever since, and for which I owe a debt of lasting gratitude to 
those masters of the olden time. 

PALACES, GALLERIES, AND CHURCHES. 

In the rear of the Palace are the Boboli Gardens. The ground 
rises in a succession of terraces, adorned with statues and vases, 
and clothed with the richest foliage. Some of the walls are 
extended arbors, for a long distance perfectly embowered in 
shade. These gardens are open to the public twice a week, 
viz. on Sundays and Thursdays. At such times it is pleasant 
to see the various groups of wxll dressed persons strolling in 
every direction, clustered around some fountain or statue, or 
occupying the rustic seats. I sat a long time one beautiful 
evening watching a merry troop of children in their cool 
summer dresses and broad-brimmed Tuscan hats, romping 
over the grass, and filling the air with their shouts and 
laughter. 

Adjoining the Pitti Palace on the west is the Museo di Sto- 
ria Naturale, or " Museum of Natural History," open daily to 
the public. Here are fine collections in Mineralogy, Geology, 
Zoology, Botany, and Anatomy. Some of the anatomical 
models in wax of different parts of the body in a diseased state 
are horribly natural. One series represents corpses in various 
stages of decomposition. 

Attached to the Museum is the Tribuxe, or Temple, erected 
by the present Grand Duke to Galileo. In the centre is a 



WITH NEW EYES. 235 

The Grand Duke— Democracy of Florence. 



statue of the Tuscan philosopher, surrounded by niches, con- 
taining busts of his principal pupils. The walls are beautifully- 
inlaid with marble and jasper ; the ceiling is richly painted in 
compartments, representing the principal events of the life of 
Galileo ; and many of the instruments with which he made his 
discoveries are here deposited. 

The present Grand Duke, Leopold II., who succeeded to the 
throne in 1824, did much for the improvement of Tuscany, 
during the early part of his reign. The pestilential marshes of 
the Maremma Senese were drained, the lakes and rivers em- 
banked, a fine road opened the whole length of the province, 
handsome bridges thrown across the rivers, and the Artesian 
wells made to provide the inhabitants with wholesome water. 
Educational institutions were established, infant schools, normal 
schools, schools for the deaf and dumb ; the most liberal patron- 
age was extended to the arts and sciences ; law reforms and 
railway enterprises were commenced. The unvarying poUcy of 
Tuscan diplomacy for more than a hundred years had been to 
maintain its independence of Austrian dominion and of Papal 
control. But ever since the revolution of 1848, the weak and 
superstitious old Duke has taken counsel only of his fears. The 
agents of the Papal Oamerilla are made his confidential advisers, 
or he looks for his protection to the Austrian bayonets. 

PALAZZO VECCHIO. 

This is a monument of the Democracy of Florence. The 
Ghibeline nobles in whom the government was vested, impos- 
ed heavier taxes than the citizens chose to pay. The insolent 
pride of the aristocracy had also become intolerable. The 
people therefore assembled in one of the public squares, the 
Piazza di Santa Croce^ in the year 1250, and took the power 



236 OLD SIGHTS 



Palazzo Vecchio — Fountain of Neptune. 



into their own hands, without meeting the slightest resistance. 
They elected Uberto di Lucca as Capitano del Popolo, and a 
council of twelve elders, or Anziani del Popolo, two for each 
district of the town, who were civil magistrates, and a Podesta 
(or Governor), to administer justice. Sixteen years later, a 
new organization of the government took place. There was a 
Council of twelve Buonomini, who were to give their opinion 
first on every new measure, after which, if approved, it came 
before the Council of Credenza (or " Trust"), a sort of Senate 
who deliberated in secret, and from them the motion came 
before the Council of Three Hundred, consisting of deputies 
from all classes of the citizens, presided over by the Podesta, 
which gave its final sanction. In 1282, a law was passed by 
which the citizens chose six Priori, one for each district, who 
constituted the executive, and were renewed every six months. 
In 1293, the popular party elected a new officer, called Gon- 
faloniers di Giustizia (i. e, "Standard-bearer of Justice"), 
who was to enforce order and justice, and had a guard of one 
thousand soldiers. 

The Palazzo Vecchio was built in 1298, as a residence for 
the Gonfaloniere and the Priori, the elective magistracy of the 
Republic. It stands on the east side of the Piazza del Gran^ 
Duca, the central spot of Florence for business and for interest. 
It is an imposing mass of dark stone, with enormous battlements, 
deep machicolations projecting over the walls, and a bold and 
lofty campanile, or bell-tower. Beneath the machicolations of the 
battlements are large triangular escutcheons painted with the 
bearings of the ancient Republic, and of the Sestieri, or wards, 
into which the city was divided. 

In front of the Palace is the celebrated Fountain of Neptune, 
by Ammanato. It consists of a colossal figure of Neptune in his 



WITH NEW EYES. 237 
MichelAngelo's " David "—Loggia di Lanzi— Imperial Gallery— Vestibule. 

car drawn by horses, in the centre, while tritous, nymphs, and 
satyrs, are congregated round the margin of the basin. On this 
site stood the Ringhiera, or tribune, from which the orators of 
the Republic were accustomed to harangue the multitude. 

On the left hand side of the door is a colossal statue of 
" David," by Michel Angela. On the other side is a colossal 
figure of Hercules subduing Cacus, by Bandinelli. 

The Loggia di Lanzi is an " open gallery" (as the word 
" loggia" signifies) on the south side of the square, consisting 
of three circular arches, supported by angular pillars, with a 
Gothic balustrade above. It contains a number of celebrated 
statues, such as the Perseus, by Benvenuto Cellini ; the Rape 
of the Sabines, by Giovanni di Bologna ; Judith slaying Holo- 
fernes, in bronze, by Donatello ; six ancient colossal statues of 
females, two lions, and some others. 

A few steps towards the south-east stands the fine building, 
the Uffizii {i. e. " offices"), erected by Cosmo I. for public 
offices. It consists of three sides of a parallelogram, and has 
a " loggia," or open gallery, all around the first story, which is 
occupied by shop-keepers. The upper story contains the 
celebrated collection of pictures and statuary called the 
" Imperial Gallery." 

GALERIA IMPERIALE. 

From the western end a corridor of communication is carried 
from this gallery across the river to the Palazzo Pitti, more 
than half a mile distant, so as to enable the sovereign to pass 
from one to the other without descending into the streets of his 
metropolis. 

In the First Vestibule are the busts of the Medici family, 
three of which are in porphyry. The Second Vestibule con- 

11* 



238 OLD SIGHTS 



The Tribune— Venus de Medicis— Various Schools of Painting. 

tains the Florentine Boar, and two noble wolf-dogs seated, and 
several fine statues larger than life. 

The Eastern Gallery is filled with paintings and sculpture. 
Among the statues is a series of Roman Emperors, from Caesar 
to Constantine, with the various expressions which marked 
their characters ; the Bacchus and Faun of Michel Angelo, 
a bronze of David, as the Conqueror of Goliath, by Donatella. 

A door on the left, about half way to the end, opens into the 
Tribune, an octagonal room with a vaulted ceiling, ornamented 
in the most costly style, and containing the choicest works of 
painting and sculpture in the world. It was originally built 
by Francesco I. as a cabinet of miscellaneous curiosities. The 
cupola is beautifully inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and the pave- 
ment is of the richest marble. 

Here stands the famous Venus de Medicis, an ancient 
statue more than two thousand years old, universally acknow- 
ledged to be the most perfect model of female symmetry and 
beauty. The highest ambition of modern sculptors is to come 
as near to it as possible, none dream of equalling it. 

Here too is the famous group of the Wrestlers, the Arrotino, 
the Dancing Faun, and the Apollino. The paintings are the 
choicest productions of Raphael, Corregio, Guido, Titian^ 
Vandyke, Guercino, Andrea del Sarto, and Daniel da Vol- 
terra. 

Then follow two rooms of Tuscan paintings, two rooms of 
the Venetian school, three rooms filled with autograph portraits 
of painters, and several rooms of the Dutch and French 
schools. 

On the western side of the Gallery is a magnificent table of 
Florentine mosaic, which employed twenty-two workmen con- 
stantly for twenty-five years, and cost 80^000 crowns. 



WITH NEW EYES. 289 

Hall of Niobe— The Duomo— Largest Dome in the World. 

Then there are several other rooms of sculpture, one called 
the Hall of jyiohe and her Children — containing Niobe in the 
centre, with her youngest daughter pressed to her, and arranged 
around the sides of the room, her numerous sons and daughters 
in various attitudes and with various expressions of fear and 
agony, dying, or about to die by the avenging shafts of Apollo 
and Diana. Then there is the Cabinet oi Modern Bronzes, i\iQ 
Cabinet oi Ancient Bronzes, a collection of sculptures of the Mod- 
ern Tuscan school, Eg3rptian Antiquities, Vases and Terra Cottas, 
a valuable collection of Medals, a beautiful Cabinet of Gems, 
collected by Lorenzo de'" Medici, and a fine collection of Draw- 
inofs and Eno-ravino-s. 

THE DUOMO, OR CATHEDRAL. * 

The foundations of this noble structure were laid hjArnolfo 
di Lapo, in 1298. After his death the work was intrusted 
to Griotto in 1331, who erected the Campanile, or Bell-tower, 
and part of the fagade, which was subsequently torn down, and 
has never yet been completed. In 1420, Brunelleschi was 
employed to complete the cupola. His success was a new era 
in architecture. He erected the first dome that was ever 
exalted upon what is technically called a drum {i. e. the base), 
and the first double dome that was ever built. This dome is 
also the largest in the world ; for though the summit of the 
cross of St. Peter's js at a greater distance from the ground 
than the summit of the cross of the Cathedral of Florence, yet 
dome separately compared with dome, that of Brunelleschi is 
the highest, and has the larger circumference. It served as a 
model to Michel Angelo for St. Peters. He admired it so 
much that he used to say, " Co?no te non voglio, meglio te non 
posso" i. e. " Like you, I do not wish, better than you, I can- 



240 OLD SIGHTS 



Statue of Brunelleschi— Dimensions— Stai ned Glass— Sculptures. 

not." In the Piazza on the south side of the Cathedral are two sta- 
tues in honor of the architects Arnolfo and Brunelleschi. Brunel- 
leschi has upon his knee the plan of the Duomo, and he is looking 
up to see it reahzed. JN'ear by is a flag-stone inscribed Sasso dl 
Dante, i. e. " Dante's seat," where formerly stood a stone seat on 
which Dante used to sit and contemplate the Cathedral. 

The whole building is cased on the outside with black and 
■white marble in alternate horizontal stripes. Its dimensions are 
length, four hundred and fifty-four feet ; breadth, i. e. length 
of the transept, three hundred and thirty-four feet ; height from 
the pavement to the summit of the c*ross, three hundred and 
eighty-seven feet ; height of the nave, one hundred and fifty- 
three feet ; and that of the side aisles, ninety-six and a half feet. 
The cupola is octagonal, and is one hundred and thirty-eight 
and a half feet in diameter, and from the cornice of the drum 
to the eye of the dome, one hundred and thirty-three and 
a quarter in height. 

The interior is paved with red, blue, and white marble. The 
stained glass of the windows is uncommonly rich, and is said 
to be the finest in the world. The cupola is covered with 
paintings in fresco, representing Paradise, Prophets, Angels, 
Saints, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Punishment of the Con- 
. demned, &c. Many of the figures are grotesque and absurd. 

Among the sculptures are a David by Doriatello, and a group 
of Joseph of Arimathea entombing the body of our Lord, by 
Michel Angela. There are also three monumental paintings 
of some interest ; one, the portrait of Dante, in a long red robe, 
with a grave and beautiful countenance, and head crowned 
with laurel ; another in honor of the celebrated knight. Sir 
John Hawkwood, who enlisted in the service of Florence ; and 
a third, of Nicolo Tolentino, another hired general. 



WITH NEW EYES. 241 

The Bell Tower— Baptistery— The Bronze Door. 

The Campanile, or Bell-tower, is a parallelopiped, two hun- 
dred and fifty feet in height, and of the same size to the sum- 
mit. On the top are four great piers, from which, according to 
the original design, was to have risen a spire of one hundred 
and ninety feet in height. This is also cased with black and 
white marble, elaborately ornamented with panels, and tablets, 
and statues. The ayerage cost of each square, hraccia (/. e. a 
space not quite two feet square), was 1000 florins — about 
$250. 

On the other side of the Piazza, opposite the Duomo, is the 

BAPTISTERY OF ST. JOHN. 

This building is an exact octagon, supporting a cupola and 
lantern. The external coating is black and white marble, con- 
structed by Arnolfo in 1288-93. But the building within is 
of much greater antiquity. There is eyidence that it was a 
finished building in a.d. '725, and it was supposed by the 
early Florentines to haye been a Temple of Mars. It was used 
as the Cathedral before the Duomo was built. 

The chief ornaments of the Baptistery are the three bronze 
doors, one by Andrea Fisano, and the two others by Ghiberfi, 
which Michel Angelo declared " worthy to be the gates of 
Paradise." The gate executed by Andrea Pisano is the one to- 
wards the south, coyered with allegorical figures in the lower com- 
partments, and aboye with the principal eyents in the life of St. 
John. "When this gate was fixed and exhibited, the eyent was 
celebrated throughout all Tuscany as a festival. The north 
gate displays the principal events of the ministry of our Lord. 
The eastern gate represents the leading events of the Old Tes- 
tament, whilst the framework is filled with statues and busts 



242 OLD SIGHTS 



Mosaics of the Cupola— Baptism— Santa Croce. 



of patriarchs, saints, and prophets of the Jewish dispensation in 
basso-relievo. 

The interior of the cupola is covered with huge mosaics of 
great antiquity, and paintings in fresco ; — a gigantic figure of 
our Lord in the centre, the Rewards of the Just and the Punish- 
ments of the Wicked, the Orders and Powers of the Celestial 
Hierarchy, Prophets, Patriarchs, and the Bishops of Florence. 
Among these frescoes is the Lucifer of Dante, with the lost 
soul, whose punishment is greatest, half in his mouth. 

All the baptisms of the city are performed in this church, 
and you rarely enter it without witnessing the ceremony. 
While we were there, a coach rolled up to the door, and a gen- 
tleman descended, followed by a great fat nurse with a very 
young child in her arms ; the priest made his appearance, with 
book in hand, rattled off the service, took the infant, crossed it, 
anointed it, put salt in its mouth, poured water on its head, 
and handed it back to the nurse with evident satisfaction. The 
average number of baptisms is about three thousand five hun- 
dred per annum. It is said that, taking the average of months, 
births are always scarcest in June, and most plentiful in Janu- 
ary, February, and March. 

CHURCH OF SANTA CROCE. 

" In Santa Crocks holy precincts lie 
Ashes -svhicli make it holier, dust which is 
Even in itself an immortality, 
Though there were nothing save the past and this 
The particle of those sublimities 
Which have relapsed to Chaos , — Here repose 
Angelo's, Alfeeri's bones, and his. 
The starry Galileo, with his woes ; 
Here Macchiavelu's earth returned to whence it rose," 



WITH NEW EYES. 243 

Westminster Abbey of Florence— Tomb of Michel Angelo. 

This M'as the principal church of the Black or Observatine 
Friars in ancient Florence. St. Francis sent his first colony to 
this city in 1212, and in 1294 the first stone of this magnifi- 
cent building was Jaid with great pomp. Arnolfo was the 
architect. 

Santa Croce has always been a favorite place for interment, 
and hence has been called the " Westminster Abbey" and the 
" Pantheon" of Florence. The pavement is thickly strewn with 
sepulchral slabs and tablets. In the centre of the chuich is the 
pavement tomb of John Ketterich, or Kerrich^ successively 
Bishop of St. David's, Litchfield, and Exeter (England), who 
was sent upon an embassy by Henry V. to Pope Martin V., and 
died shortly after his arrival in Florence in 1419. Another is 
that of Giovanni Magalotti, one of the board of eight members 
appointed by the Florentines, when they declared war against 
Pope Gregory XL and allied themselves with the " Roman re- 
public" in defence of liberty in 13 7 5. The people called them 
" Otto Santi,'" i.e. " the Eight Saints." The Pope styled them 
" Otto Diavoli,'" i. e. " the Eight Devils." 

One of the most interesting tombs is that of Michel Angelo 
JBuonarotti. The three sister arts. Painting, Sculpture, and 
Architecture, appear as mourners around the urn of the great 
master. His bust by Lorenzi was considered a most faithful 
likeness. 

Another is the magnificent tomb of Marsuppini, who died in 
1453, Chancellor of the Republic of Florence, and one of the 
proteges of Cosmo de Medici — a sarcophagus with a recumbent 
figure. Another is that of Leonardo Bruni^ who died in 1644 
(surnamed L'Aretino, from the place of his birth, Arezzo), author 
of a " History of the Goths," " History of Florence," and many 
other works. He lies extended on the tomb, witli a volume of 



244 OLD SIGHTS 



Monuments to Macchiavelli, Dante, Alfieri, Galileo. 



his "History of Florence" on his breast, and a crown of laurel 
around his head. 

There are also the monument to Macchiavelli, the cenotaph 
of Dante, Canova's monument of Aljieri, and the tomb of Ga- 
lileo. A modern tomb of the Polish Countess Sophia, by Bar- 
tolini, is a fine work of art. She is represented as on her dying 
bed, partly raised up and supported by pillows, having just 
given her parting advice to her family, her eyes closed, her 
hands clasped, and her expression that of a dying Christian. 



WITH NEW EYES. 245 

Farewell to Florence. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



FLORENCE TO BOLOGNA. 



Farewell to thee, Florence! "city of flowers!" graceful, 
beautiful, illustrious Florence ! birtli-place of Genius ! home of 
Poetry, Philosophy, and the Fine Arts ! where Freedom once 
had a voice that awed the insolence of aristocratic pride, and 
drowned the thunders of the Vatican. Thou hast many attrac- 
tions for the visitor from distant lands. Thou receivest him 
with a smile of welcome, thou strewest flowers in his pathway, 
and open est wide to him thy choicest galleries of art, " without 
money and without price." Thanks for thy courtesy and hos- 
pitality ! "Pleasant memories of thee" we carry with us on 
our way. 

It was about half-past eight in the evening, when we took 
our places in the diligence for Bologna. The two Bostonian 
"Medici" occupied the "Interior;" the "Cambridge graduate" 
chose " the Banquette ;" while "the Swede," "the attache," and 
myself, congi-atulated ourselves on having secured the " Coupe." 
The baggage was at length stowed away to the satisfaction of 
all hands, the flower-girls waved their " addios,''^ and we rattled 
off" in fine style, making our exit by the Porta San Gallo, and 
crossing the stream Mugnone. The country in the neighbor- 
hood of Florence is studded with villas, and rich in vineyards 
and olive groves, but the gathering shades of night soon limited 



246 OLD SIGHTS 



Summit of the Appenines— Tuscan Frontier— Basin of the Po. 

our prospect. We passed through Fontebuono, Vaglia Taglia- 
ferro^ Caffaggiolo^ where we changed horses about midnight, 
and then commenced a much steeper ascent, up which we toiled 
through Monte Carelli, till we reached the summit of the pass 
about daybreak. We got out of the carriage and walked along 
for some distance, to have a better view of the Apennines. 
The prospect was magnificent. Immediately around us all was 
barrenness and desolation — a sea of mountains on all sides, 
with lovely vales between, dotted with castles and villages — the 
clouds beneath us roseate with the beams of the rising sun. 
Thence our descent was rapid, though with occasional varia- 
tions. At one hill we were obliged to have a yoke of oxen 
attached to the diligence in front of the horses to pull us up. 
The horses seemed to understand it perfectly ; for they at once 
relaxed their own exertions and left the oxen to do all the 
work. 

From Covigliaio close under the Monte Bene, covered with 
scattered rocks of serpentine, and the Sasso di Castro, another 
fine mountain, through the village of Pietra Mala, famous for 
its spontaneous fires, constantly issuing from a small spot, ten 
or twelve feet across of stony ground, which always burn 
brightest in stormy weather, to Filigare, the last station of the 
Tuscan frontier. Here is the Dogana, or custom-house, a fine 
stone building, where our passports were examined. 

Then we crossed the boundary line and entered the Pa- 
pal States, and were obliged to have our passports and 
baggage examined again at La Ca, where is the Papal cus- 
tom-house. 

AVe stopped at Lojano to breakfast, and thence had a succes- 
sion of fine views of the basin of the Po, from Turin to the 
Adriatic. From the next station, Pianoro, through the rich 



WITH NEW EYES. 247 

Bologna— Ancient Liberty— Covered Porticoes. 

plains of Bologna, till we entered the gates of the city, and 
after "a scene" with the police, who were very rigorous in 
their examinations, and "a scene" with one of our horses, 
who kicked up and broke his harness, we finally arrived at 
the Grand Hotel Brun, 

BOLOGNA. 

Bologna is the second city of the Papal States, next to Rome 
in population and importance. It is the capital of the Province 
of Bologna, a district of about fifty miles in length and thirty 
in breadth, having a population of 324,000. The city is two 
miles long, by about one broad, surrounded by a high brick 
wall with twelve gates. It lies between the rivers Savena and 
Reno, and the Reno canal, which passes through it, connects it 
with Ferrara, whence by means of the Po, the Adige, and the 
intermediate canals, it has water communication with Venice. 
Its population is about 67,000. 

The ancient escutcheon of Bologna bore the word "LihertasJ^ 
For many centuries it enjoyed municipal independence. The 
citizens assembled in general comitia, and appointed the magis- 
trates, at the head of whom were the consuls. It was not 
indeed until the sixteenth century that it became subject to 
the Papal see. 

The inhabitants still retain something of their ancient bear- 
ing. During the late revolution, they made a most desperate 
resistance to the Austrians, and the walls still bear the marks 
of the artillery. The city was full of Austrian troops while we 
were there, and sentinels with rifles guarded the entrance of 
every hotel and public building. 

One of the first things noticed by the stranger, is the number 
of covered porticoes on the sides of the streets. These extend 



248 OLD SIGHTS 



Churches. 



all over the city, and afford a pleasant shelter from the sun and 
rain. In some parts, however, they give a dark and gloomy 
aspect to the houses. 

As usual we set out to explore some of the principal church- 
es. The Cathedral dedicated to St. Peter, contains among its 
relics the skull of St. Anna, presented by Henry VI. of Eng- 
land, in 1435. Among the works of art is the celebrated 
painting of the Annunciation, by Lodovico Caracci. 

The church of San Petronio is the largest, and said to be 
one of the finest specimens of the Italian Gothic of the fourteenth 
century. It is a perfect museum of sculpture. Windows and 
doorways are covered with mouldings, bas-reliefs, and statues, 
in lavish profusion. The beholder stands amazed at the incre- 
dible amount of labor and skill which must have been expended 
on them. On the pavement is the celebrated meridian^ line, 
traced by the astronomer Cassini. 

The church of San Domenico contains the tombs of St. 
DomeniCy the founder of the Inquisition, of King £Jnzius, son of 
Frederick II. Emperor of Germany, of Taddeo Pepoli, the 
celebrated republican ruler of Bologna, in the fourteenth cen- 
tury, and of Guido, the painter, and his favorite pupil, Eliza- 
betta Sirani. It is also extremely rich in works of art. Guido 
painted the fresco on the roof, representing the glory of Para- 
dise, with the Saviour and the Virgin receiving the soul of St. 
Domenic, amidst the music of the seraphim. Here is also an 
original and authentic likeness of St. Thomas Aquinas, by 
Simone da Bologna. 

These may serve as specimens of the hundred churches of 
Bologna, most of which are adorned with the choicest produc- 
tions of painting and sculpture, which have been accumulating 
for centuries. 



WITH NEW EYES. 249 

Academy of Fine Arts— Guide's " Massacre of the Innocents," 

The next day we visited tlie Academy of the Fine Arts, one 
of the finest collections in Italy. It contains the choicest 
works of the Caracci, Domenichino, Guido, and their pupils. 
One of the finest of Ludovko Caracci is the Madonna and 
child, standing on the half-moon, in a glory of angels, with St. 
Jerome and St. Francis in adoration. The Martyrdom of St. 
Agnes, by Domenichino, is a noble painting. The scene and 
beautiful countenance of the saint, irradiated by an expression 
of rapt holiness and heavenly resignation, are finely contrasted 
with the terror and amazement of the surrounding multitude, 
and the savage ferocity of the murderer, plunging the dagger 
into her bosom. In one corner of the foreground are two 
women hiding the face and stilling the screams of a terrified 
child. 

But the picture wliich made the most powerful impression 
upon my mind was the Massacre of the Innocents, by Guido. 
I shall never forget the terror and dismay, and wild frenzy of 
despair, upon the faces of those mothers as they see the ruffians 
in pursuit, and seek to shield their infants within their tight- 
ening grasp ; it seems as if you could hear the piercing shriek 
of one dragged by her hair and scarf, as the soldier reaches 
after her child, while another sits wringing her hands over her 
slaughtered babes, and on the countenance of another, uplifted 
with an indescribable expression of the utmost agony, is the 
wild gleam of incipient madness. 

The Crucifixion, the Victory of Samson over the Philistines, 
and a sketch of St. Sebastian, are also paintings of gi*eat cele- 
brity by the same artist. 

An illustration of the sacrilegious extent to which the Roman 
Catholic painters sometimes go, is seen in one of Guercind's 
paintings here — God the Father! described as "a grand 



250 OLD SIGHTS 



Kaphaers " Santa Cecilia "— UniTersity of Bologna— Female Professors. 

impromptu painting, done in a single night and put up in the 
morning !" 

The great treasure of this gallery is thought to be the Santa 
Ceciha, by Rai^hael. The saint is represented with a lyre held 
by both hands carelessly dropped, the head turned up towards 
heaven with a beautiful, pensive countenance. The other 
figures are St. Paul, St. John, St. Augustine, and Mary Magda- 
lene. 

We also paid a visit to the University of Bologna, which 
occupies part of a noble palace in the Strada San Donato. This 
University is the oldest in Italy, and the first in which acade- 
mical degrees were conferred. It was founded in 1119, by 
Wemerus, a learned civihan, who acquired the title of " Lucema 
Juris." During the twelfth century students flocked hither 
from all parts of Em-ope. Xo less than ten thousand are said 
to have been here in 1262. At first the civil and canon laws 
were the principal study ; but the faculties of Medicine and Arts 
were added before the fourteenth century, and Innocent YI. 
instituted a Theological faculty. In the fourteenth century it 
became distinguished as the first school which practised the 
dissection of the human body ; and in more recent times it 
became renowned for the discovery of Galvanism, by Lewis 
Galvani, one of the lecturers on Medicine. It has also been 
remarkable for the large number of its learned female profes- 
sors. In the fourteenth century Novella d^ Andrea, daughter of 
the celebrated canonist, frequently occupied her father's chair : 
and it is related that her beauty was so striking that a curtain 
was drawn before her in order not to distract the attention of 
the students. Of later date is the name of Laura Bassi, who 
was Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy ; another 
IS that of Madonna Manzolina, who graduated in surgery, and 



WITH NEW EYES. 251 

Two Leaning Towers. 

was Professor of Anatomy ; and within the present century the 
Greek chair has been filled by the learned Malilda Tamhroni^ 
the friend and predecessor of Cardinal Mezzofanti. 

In our walk we passed the two celebrated leaning towers, 
which are so conspicuous as you approach the city, one called 
the Asinelli, and the other the Garisenda. The Asinelli is a 
square massive brick tower, surmounted by a cupola, two 
hundred and fifty-six feet seven inches in height, and having an 
inclination of three feet two inches. The Garisenda is one 
hundred and thirty feet high, and has an inclination of more 
than eight feet to the south, and three feet to the east. They 
were built, one in 1109, the other in 1110. 



252 OLD SIGHTS 



The Vetturino— Our " Turn Out." 



CHAPTER XXX. 

BOLOGXA, FERRARA, AND PADUA, TO VENICE. 

We hired a vetturino {i. e., back-driver), to take us to Padua, 
about seventy-five miles, for a Napoleon (about four dollars) 
apiece. In accordance with the suggestion of an old traveller, 
the contract was drawn up in writing, signed by the respective 
parties, and attested by witnesses ; and it was expressly stipu- 
lated that no other person besides our party, numbering six, 
should be taken into the carriage. 'We soon found the wisdom 
of this precaution ; for, as we were on the point of starting, the 
driver attempted to smuggle another indi^ddual into the car- 
riage, already overladen, to judge from the miserable appearance 
of the three poor beasts attached to it. It was really amusing 
to hear the vetturino expatiate upon the peculiar qualifications 
of those animals for the duties assigned to them ; such horses 
were not often to be obtained ; all bone and muscle, no waste 
flesh — in prime condition for travelling. But it was " no go." 
"We were not to be " done." Tlie intruder was obliged to de- 
scend, the driver mounted his box, and announced our departure 
by a succession of cracks with the whip lash, which rang 
through the court-yard like a volley of pistol shots. 

We went through the customay passport examinations at 
the gate, and had but just fairly entered upon the high road, 
when the leader of our team suddenly shied from some imagi- 



WITH NEW EYES. 253 



D Tedo— Ferrara. 



nary cause, and brought up against the side of the carriage in 
reverse order. By dint of waiting and coaxing we finally suc- 
ceeded in righting him, and inducing him to proceed. All this 
was very provoking, as we had thirty miles to go that afternoon 
to reach Ferrara, and there was every prospect of an approach- 
ing thunder-storm. We had hardly reached the inn // Tedo^ 
when the storm burst upon us with great fury — thunder and 
lightning and sheets of rain with immense hailstones. While 
waiting for dinner in the spacious hall, we amused ourselves 
with attempting to decipher the inscriptions of travellers upon 
the walls in various languages, and stiU more various moods. 

At six p. M. we started again, passed through Malalhergo^ 
crossed the Reno in a ferry-boat, at Gallo crossed the boundary 
between the two Legations, and arrived at Ferrara about ten 
o'clock in the evening, where we found excellent accommoda- 
tions at the Hotel de I'Europe. It was formerly a palace, and 
the walls of the dining saloon are covered with landscape- 
painting in fresco. 

FERRARA. 

Ferrara is the capital of the Legation of Ferrara, the most 
northern province of the Papal States- During the sixteenth 
century, under the princely house of D'Este, the Court of 
Ferrara was distinguished throughout Europe for its refinement 
and intelligence ; its L^niversity was a favorite resort of students 
from all Christendom, and its walls, seven miles in circuit, 
inclosed nearly 100,000 souls. But its glory has departed; 
its broad streets are deserted ; its magnificent palaces are 
untenanted and falling into decay. Its population is now about 
31,000. 

Early the next morning we visited the CaitUy formerly the 
12 



254 OLD SIGHTS 



Castle of "Parisina"— Tasso's Prison. 



Ducal Palace, now the residence of the Cardinal Legate. It is 
a large square building, with four large towers at the angles, 
surrounded by a very wide moat, crossed by drawbridges. Here 
is laid the scene of Byron's poem " Parisina."' In the dungeons 
of this castle Parisina and her guilty lover suffered execution. 
Dr. Frizzi, in his " History of Ferrara," thus describes the closing 
catastrophe : — " It was then in the prisons of the castle, and 
exactly in those frightful dungeons which are seen at this day 
beneath the chamber called the Aurora, at the foot of the Lion's 
tower at the top of the street Giovecca, that on the night of the 
21st of May were beheaded, first Ugo, and afterwards Parisina." 
We saw also the prison of Tasso^ a cell in the hospital of St. 
Anna, where the poet was confined by order of the Duke Alfonso, 
his capricious and tyrannical sovereign. 

" Ferrara ! in thy wide and grass-grown streets, 
Whose symmetry was not for soHtude, 
There seems as 'twere a curse upon the seats 
Of former sovereigns, and the antique brood 
Of Este, which for many an age made good 
Its strength within thy walls, and was of yore 
Patron or tyrant, — as the changing mood 
Of petty power impell'd, — of those who wore 
The wreath which Dante's brow had worn before. 

" And Tasso in their glory and their shame : 
Hark to his strain ! and then, survey his cell ! 
And see how dearly earn'd Torquato's fame, 
And where Alfonso bade his poet dwell ; 
The miserable despot could not quell 
The insulted mind he sought to quench and blend 
With the surrounding maniacs, in the hell 
Where he had plunged it. Glory without end 
/Scatter'd the clouds away— and on that name attend 



WITH NEW EYES. 255 
The " Italian Homer "— Crossine the Po. 

" The tears and praises of all time ; while thine 
Would rot in its oblivion — in the sink 
Of worthless dust, which from thy boasted line 
Is shaken into nothing : but the link 
Thou formest in his fortunes, bids us think 
Of thy poor malice, naming thee with scorn ; — 
Alfonso ! how thy ducal pageants shrink 
From thee ! if in another station bom, 
Scarce fit to be the slave of him thou mad'st to mourn." 

A statue of Ariosto, the " Italian Homer," who made Ferrara 
his principal residence, adorns one of the public squares called 
the Piazza cfAriosto. The house he lived in is also shown, and 
the Public Library contains his tomb, transferred from the 
church of San Benedetto by the French in 1801. About the 
middle of the last century the bust which surmounted it was 
struck by lightning, and the crown of iron laurels melted away. 
Lord Byron has happily improved this incident in one of his 
stanzas : 

"The lightning rent from Ariosto's bust, 
The iron crown of laurel's mimic'd leaves: 
Nor was the ominous element unjust ; 
For the true laurel wreath which Glory weaves 
Is of the tree no bolt of thunder cleaves, 
And the false resemblance but disgraced his brow, 
Yet still, if fondly Superstition grieves, 
Know, that the hghtning sanctifies below 
Whate'er it strikes ; — ^yon head is doubly sacred now." 

We left Ferrara at half past six in the morning, near the 
gates met a company of Austrian recruits from the Tyrol, and 
after a few miles through a flat uninteresting country, arrived at 
the banks of the Po, which is here about half a mile wide, and 
flows with a majestic yet rapid course. We crossed in a ferry- 



256 OLD SIGHTS 



Custom house— Rovigo. 



boat attached to a wire extended across the river, so arranged 
that the boat is carried over by the force of the current. 
Moored in the stream were several floating grist-mills, which are 
worked by the same power. We entered the Austrian province 
of Lombardy on the opposite side, and were obliged to undergo 
a long and minute examination at the Dogana, or custom-house. 
Even the private papers in our portfolios were scrutinized, and 
a small sealed package in possession of one of our party, which 
had been intrusted to his care by a lady in Naples to be forward- 
ed to her friend in England, having been opened and found to 
contain prohibited articles (jewehy), the bearer was fined 100 
francs, and we were all regarded with more or less suspicion. 

After a delay of nearly two hours, we were permitted to con- 
tinue our journey. The road for some distance runs along the 
top of a high embankment, which has been raised to guard 
against the inundations of the Po, which is higher than the 
surrounding country. Here our leader again manifested his 
shying propensity, and several times put us in imminent jeopardy 
of a somerset into the river. 

We dined at Rovlgo^ a town of about 7000 inhabitants, with 
a canal running through it, two leaning towers, and a curious 
old altar. At 3 p.m. we resumed our journey, and had a delight- 
ful ride along a level road, perfectly straight for six or eight 
miles, shaded by fine poplars, through a region of exuberant 
fertility. Some of the peasant boys and girls ran after our 
carriage a long way, attracted by the promise of a few coppers ; 
one bright looking girl followed us two miles to obtain a few 
cigars which were occasionally thrown out to her. As we 
approached Montselice, we had a fine view of the castle which 
stands upon a lofty rock above the town. Here we found some 
fine fruit, plums and pears, and excellent ices. We entered the 



WITH NEW EYES. 257 

Padixa— University— Caf6 Pedrochi— Town Hall. 

gates of Padua about eight o'clock in the evening, and put up 
at the Hotel Croce d' Oro, i. e. " Cross of Gold." 

PADUA. 

Padua, the ancient Patavium, is the oldest city of northern 
Italy. The Romans attributed its foundation to the Trojan 
Prince Antenor, soon after the ruin of Troy. It was the birth- 
place of the historian Livy. The University of Padua, founded 
by the Emperor Frederick II., in the fii-st part of the thirteenth 
century, had at one time 6000 students, and still retains some 
reputation, especially in medicine. It now has about 1500 
students. Here Forcellini compiled and published his great 
Latin Lexicon, upon which he spent forty years of his life. 
Padua is fortified with walls, ditches, and bastions, and is more 
than six miles in circumference, but the present number of 
inhabitants does not exceed 47,000. Most of the streets are 
narrow, and lined with arcades for side-walks. 

The next morning we breakfasted at the famous Ccrfe 
Pedrocchi, a fine building, cased with marble outside and in. 
One of the maps painted on the walls of the eating saloon was 
in what we should call inverted order; i. e. the top of the 
map was south, and the bottom north. 

Our first \Hlsit was to the Palazzo della Ragione {i, e. Palace 
of Reason), or Town-hall, a large building, extending along the 
market-place, and resting entirely on open arches. A vast roof 
towers above the walls, which is said to be the largest unsup- 
ported by pillars in the world. It was modelled after the roof 
of a great palace in India, which the architect had seen in 
1306. The hall is about two hundred and forty feet long, and 
eighty wide, and the whole interior wall is covered with mystical 
paintings, designed by Giotto^ after the instructions of the great 



258 OLD SIGHTS 



Bankrupt's Seat— Church of San Antonio— Votive Offerings. 

astrologer, alchemist, and magician, Pietro d'Ahano. At the 
top of the hall is the monument of Livy. In front of it is an 
enormous wooden model of a horse, made by Donatello, which 
reminds one of Virgil's description of the Trojan horse. Here 
is also a bust of the celebrated traveller Belzoni, with two 
Egyptian statues which he presented to his native city. At the 
other end is the " lapis viiuperarii" mentioned by Addison, — 
a seat of black granite, upon which insolvent debtors were 
obliged to sit bare, as in other towns of Italy in the middle ages. 
A meridian line crosses the hall ; the ray of the sun passes 
through a hole in the roof decorated with a golden face. 

We next visited the church of San Antonio, the patron saint 
of Padua. It was built by Nicholas of Pisa, in the thirteenth 
century, and is in the shape of a cross, two hundred and eighty 
feet in length, one hundred and thirty-eight in breadth, crowned 
with no less than eight cupolas, which give it an oriental 
aspect. It is remarkable for the splendor and beauty of its 
internal decorations. In the north transept is the chapel of 
the saint, which is illuminated day and night by the golden 
lamps and silver candlesticks and candelabra borne by angels, 
which burn before the shrine. The walls are covered with sculp- 
tures, and in the centre is the shrine, as splendid as gold and 
marble can make it. The presby{ery and choir are separated 
from the rest of the church by elaborately wrought marble 
screens and balustrades. The high altar is decorated with 
bronzes by Donatella, and near it is an immense candelabrum 
of bronze executed by Andrea Riccio, the result of ten years' 
labor, and considered the finest work of art in the church. 

I have never been in a church which exhibited such a mul- 
titude and variety of votive offerings, from individuals who pro- 
fessed to have experienced the miraculous interposition of the 



WITH NEW EYES. 259 

. Giotto's Chapel— Allegorical Paint ings. 

saint in times of peril. These offerings consisted sometimes of 
gold and silver ornaments, hearts, crucifixes, candlesticks, &c., 
and sometimes models in wood or wax of diseased parts of the 
body which had been cured, and at other times of pictorial 
representations of the events commemorated, framed and sus- 
pended on the wall. One picture represented a carriage on 
the verge of upsetting, but prevented just in time by St. x\ntho- 
ny, who has let down a rope from heaven and grappled the 
vehicle. Another represents the saint pulling out of the water 
a man who has fallen from a bridge. Other instances of assist- 
ance extended to females at the most ci-itical seasons, are de- 
picted with great fidelity. 

In the square betbre the church is a fine bronze statue of 
" Gutta Melata" (Erasmo di Narni), the Venetian General, one 
of Donatelld's finest works. 

Another most interesting object is Giotto's chapel, a small 
building, which stands at the end of a green court-yard, all by 
itself, the monastic buildings formerly attached to it having 
been entirely destroyed. The wails of the interior are covered 
with frescoes by that great master. Over the entrance is the 
Last Judgment — Christ on his throne in the centre at the top, 
aad groups of " the blessed " on the right, and " the cursed " on 
the left. It is surprising to see the prominence he has given 
to the vices of the Romish clergy. Many a priest and bishop 
is seen in the hands of the devils, dragged down to hell together 
with the partner of his guilty pleasures. 

On the side walls, in the lowest range of paintings, is a series 
of allegorical figures. Opposite to each Virtue is the antago- 
nist Vice. Thus on one side, Hope, winged, scarcely touching 
the earth, and eagerly stretching after the celestial crown. 
Opposite is Despriir^ portrayed as a female, who, at the insti- 



260 OLD SIGHTS 



Lucifer and his Crew— Rail to Venice. 



gation of the Fiend, is in the act of banging herself. Charity^ 
her countenance beaming with joy, holding up her right hand 
to receive gifts from heaven, and in her left, the vase from which 
she dispenses them. Etivy^ standing in flames ; a serpent 
issues from her mouth, and recoils upon herself; she has the 
ears and claws of a wolf. Faith, holding the creed, and tram- 
pling on a horoscope ; in the other hand she grasps the cross. 
Unhelitf ; a Roman helmet on her head ; in her hand an an- 
cient heathen idol, to which she is noosed, and by which she is 
dragged to the pit. Temperance ; a female figure, fully drap- 
ed, holding a sword bound in the scabbard, and a bit is placed 
in her mouth, emblem of restraint. Amger ; a hideous crone 
tearing her own bosom, and many others in similar style. 

Our last visit was to the Palazzo Pappafavo, in part to see 
the paintings, but mainly to see a strange group in sculpture of 
Lucifer and his companions cast down from heaven, by Agosti- 
no Fasolata. It contains sixty figures carved out of one solid 
block of marble. The figures are so twisted together, it is diffi- 
cult to understand how the artist could have managed his 
tools. The group is five feet high, and employed the artist 
twelve years I 

"We took a farewell ice at Pedrocchi*s, got into an omnibus, 
and were conveyed to the railway station, to take the train for 
Venice, twenty-two miles distant. It was delightful to come in 
sight of a railway again. The carriages, too, were not like the 
English and French, divided into separate apartments, but like 
our American " cars," one long, open room each. The name 
of the locomotive was " 11 VirgilioP 

We left Padua at 1 30 p.m., had a running view of the 
Tyrolese Alps in the distance on our left, crossed the great stone 
bridge over the Lagoon, tv/o and a half miles long, with the 



•WITH NEW EYES. 261 
Rail to Yeaice. ^__ 

domes and towers of Venice floating on the water before us, 
entered the railway terminus, and were soon in a gondola in 
the Grand Canal (the " Broadway " of Venice), on our way to 
the Hotel Roval Danielis. 



12* 



262 OLD SIGHTS 



' City of the Sea "—The Two Granite Pillars. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

VENICE. 

" There is a glorious city in the sea, 

The sea is in the broad, the narrow streets, 

Ebbing- and flowing ; and the salt sea-weed 

Clings to the marble of her palaces. 

No track of man, no footsteps to and fro 

Lead to her gates. The path lies o'er the sea 

Invincible ; and from the land we went, 

As to a floating city — steering in, 

And gliding up her streets, as in a dream 

So smoothly, silently — by many a dome 

Mosque-like, and many a stately portico, 

The statues ranged along an azure sky ; 

By many a pile in more than Eastern pride 

Of old the residence of merchant kings ; 

The fronts of some, though Time had shatter'd them, 

Still glowing with the richest hues of art. 

As though the wealth within them had run e'er." 

I COULD hardly believe my own eyes that I was in Venice — 
that " city of the sea," which had always seemed to me more 
like some dream of fairy-land than an actual locality. But 
there was no doubting it. Here we were in a veritable gondola, 
with our baggage all labelled "Fe?i€2ia," gliding by rows of 
stately palaces, where the water rippled upon the marble steps ; 
we pass an open square and shout with delight as we recognise 
the two granite pillars, so completely identified with Venice, 
surmounted one by the " winged lion " of St. Mark, the other 
by St. Theodore, the patron saint of the Republic in early times. 



WITH NEW EYES. 263 

View from our Window— The Mole — The Piazzetta. 

We pass the Doge's Palace, the Prison, and turning into a little 
canal on our left, shoot under a bridge, and are landed from the 
gondola at a side entrance of the hotel. 

Signer I. and myself are fortunate in obtaining a front sitting- 
room in the fourth story, which commands a fine view of the 
Bay and Lagoon. Dii-ectly opposite is the island of St. George, 
covered with buildings, among which is the church of San 
Giorgio Maggiore. To the right of that, upon another island, is 
the Dogana, or custom-house, and a little further in the same 
direction rise the beautiful domes and turrets of the diurch of 
San Maria della Salute, which seems to float upon the surface 
of the water like a swan. 

In front of the hotel is a wide stone quarry, called H Mola, 
i. e. " The Mole." We walk along this quarry, pass the Doge's 
Palace, and find ourselves in the square which contains the two 
granite pillars. Three pillars were brought from Constantinople 
in the twelfth century. One sank into the mud as they were 
landing it, the others were safely landed, but no one could raise 
them and place them on their pedestals. A certain Lombard, 
nicknamed Nicolo Barattiero, i. c. " !N"ick the Blackleg," offer- 
ed his services and succeeded in raising them, claiming as his 
reward that games of chance, prohibited elsewhere by the law, 
might be played with impunity between the columns. The 
concession could not be revoked, but as an offset to it, the legis- 
lature enacted that the public executions should be held upon 
the pri^-ileged gambling spot, by which means it became so ill- 
omened as to be universally shunned. During the republican 
rule of the French, the winged Lion of St. Mark, which sur- 
mounts one of the pillars, was carried to Paris, but afterwards 
restored. 

This square is called the Piazzetta. On its west side, stands 



264 OLD SIGHTS 



Piazza, of St. Mark— "St. Mark's Pigeons" -The Three Bronze Pedestals. 

the Bihlioieca Antica^ formerly containing the Public Library, 
but was a part of the Palazzo Reale. On its east side is the 
Doge^s Palace. At the north end, it abuts upon the Basilica of 
St. Mark. Here are some curious relics of ancient times — the 
Stone of Shame, upon which bankrupts were placed, — the 
square piers of St. John of Acre, originally forming part of a 
gateway in that city, and brought to Venice in the thirteenth 
century. 

As you reach the north end of the Pioszetta, on facing to the 
left, you have before you the Piazza of St, Mark, one of the 
finest squares in the world. It is five hundred and seventy-six 
feet in length, and two hundred and sixty-nine in width (at the 
east end), paved with smooth flagging, having the splendid front 
of the Basilica on its east side, and on the other sides a conti- 
nuous range of palaces with arcades. These arcades are occu- 
pied by cafes and shops of every description, and form a fine 
promenade. On a pleasant morning, the Piazza is a scene of 
great animation and gaiety, especially when enlivened by a 
fine Austrian band of music stationed in the centre, as was the 
case when we were there. The little tables of the cafes with 
their occupants, extend across the arcades into the Piazza, and 
visitors of all nations are standing in groups or strolling about 
in every direction. 

" The pigeons of St. Mark " are privileged occupants of the 
Piazza and the adjacent buildings. No one dares molest them. 
From time immemorial they have been regarded with supersti- 
tious veneration by the people, and fed at the expense of the 
government. They are very tame. I have often gathered a 
flook of them around nay table, while breakfasting in the Piazza, 
by throwing out a few crumbs of bread. 

I Q front of the Basilica are the three bronze pedestals, \ii 



WITH NEW EYES. 265 

The Foior Bronze Horses— St. Mark's Cathedral. 

which are inserted the masts from which once proudly streamed 
the three gonfalons of silk and gold, supposed to signify the 
three dominions of the Eepublic, Venice, Cyprus, and the 
Morea. In place of these are now the Austrian standards. 

Over the central portal of the Basilica are the /owr celebrated 
bronze horses, formerly gilt, brought from the Hippodrome at 
Constantinople, as part of the Venetians' share of the plunder, 
when that city was taken by the Crusaders in the fourth crusade. 
They are supposed to be of Greek origin, and to have been car- 
ried from Alexandria by Augustus, after his conquest of An- 
tony, and placed on a triumphal arch in Rome, successfully 
transferred by Nero, Domitian, Trajan, and Constantine, to 
arches of their own, and finally by Constantine to his' new 
capital. 

The foundations of St. Mark's were laid in a.d. 97*7, upon 
the site of a former edifice destroyed by fire. Its plan is that 
of a Greek cross, with the addition of spacious porticoes. The 
centre is covered with a dome, and over the centre of each of 
the arms of the cross rises a smaller cupola. The vestibule 
presents a front of five arched entrances, and two smaller arch- 
ways, ornamented with two rows of columns of red antique, 
porphyry, serpentine, and other marbles. Five large mosaics 
fill the recesses over the doorways. A marble balustrade runs 
along the top of the vestibule, and above this is a semi-circu- 
lar window in the centre, with a statue of St. Mark upon its 
apex, and on each side two semi-circular gables, filled with mo- 
saics. Turrets, and statues, and ornaments, of the richest kind, 
on every part of the exterior, give it a brilliant and splendid 
appearance. 

The interior is equally rich, the walls and columns of the 
most precious marbles, the vaulting covered with mosaics with 



266 OLD SIGHTS 



Signs of decay— Tower of the Clock— The Campanile. 



gold grounds, and the pavement of tesselated marble, remarka- 
ble for the beauty and richness of the patterns, and the allegori- 
cal character of the devices. For instance, one is that of a 
round, well-fed, sleek Lion on the sea, and a lean, meagre Lion 
on the land, to signify what would be the fate of Venice, if she 
deserted the profits of the maritime commerce for the vain 
glories of territorial conquest. The pavement has become very- 
uneven, in some places thrown into undulations, by the set- 
tling of the foundations, and many of the pillars and even the 
sides of the building are deflected from the perpendicular. It 
seems to indicate the decrepitude of Venetian power and glory. 
In the pavement of the vestibule is a lozenge of reddish marble, 
marking the spot where Pope Alexander III. and the Emperor 
Frederic Barbarossa were reconciled on the 23d July, 1177, 
through the intervention of the Venetian republic. The Pope 
placed his foot upon the head of the prostrate Emperor, repeat- 
ing the words of the Psalm, " Thou shalt tread upon the lion 
and adder." 

To the right, on coming out of St. Mark, is the Torre dell 
Orologio, or " Tower of the Clock." The bell is outside upon 
the top of the tower, and by the side of it are two figures of 
bronze called " the Moors," who strike the hours. The hours 
are struck twice, the second time at an interval of five minutes 
after the first. 

To the left is the great Campanile tower of St. Mark, a huge 
square building, surmounted by a lofty pyramid. It is three 
hundred and twenty -three feet high, and forty -two feet square at 
the base. The ascent is by a continuous inclined plane, which 
winds around an inner tower. The prospect from the belfry is 
very fine. The city lies spread out like a map at your feet, 
with its domes and towers, its canals and bridges, the Lagoon 



WITH NEW EYES. 267 

An Austrian Spy— The Doge's Palace. 

and its islands, and tlie waters of the Adriatic in one direction, 
"while in another the vi&vf is terminated by the distant Alps* 
While tracing out the various localities in sight, by the aid of 
a map, I was accosted by a foreigner, who seemed very desirous 
of making my acquaintance. He inquired what this place 
was, and that place, &c., and seemed to be taking notes in his 
memorandum book ; asked me if I was from Paris, repeated 
the motto, " Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite ;" said he was a Hun- 
garian, compelled to serve in the Austrian army against his 
will, and when I told him I was an American, he seemed de- 
lighted, called it a happy land, said he wanted to go there, and 
entreated me to give him my name, and when I refused, he 
followed me down the tower, reiterating the request in a cor- 
rupt mixture of Italian and Latin, " Signor, nomine preco," i, e. 
" Your name, I pray." The next morning, while breakfasting 
in the Piazza, I saw this same person in close conference with 
an Austrian officer, evidently directing his attention to the 
table where I sat. I have no doubt that he was a spy. 

THE doge's palace. 

This has two fronts, the southern on the Molo, towards the 
sea, and the eastern on the Piazzetta. The lower story is an 
open gallery originally clear through to the interior court, but 
now closed up on that side, and that part of it on the Piazzetta 
was formerly called the Broglio, and was the resort of the Ve- 
netian nobles, when they wished to see each other on business. 
At the time of our visit it was occupied by the Austrian guard, 
and several pieces of artillery were planted in front of it, com- 
manding the Piazzetta, so as to quell any popular rising which 
might take place there. 

We passed through the Porta della Carta, into the cortile, or 



268 OLDSIGHTS 



The Lion's Mouth— Hall of the Greater Council. 



interior court, and crossing it ascended the " Giants' Staircase," 
so called from two colossal statues by Sansovino, of Mars 
and Jupiter, which stand one on each side at the head of the 
staircase. The ceremony of the coronation of the Doge was 
anciently performed at the head of the staircase. Turning to 
the right, we passed along the loggia or open gallery of the 
second story, and see on the wall the openings of the terrible 
lions^ mouths, the receptacle of all secret communications in 
state affairs. Near the end of this side is the great staircase, 
the Scala cf Oro, i. e. " Staircase of gold." Ascending two 
flights, we gain admission to the suite of rooms which occupy 
the two fronts of the Palace. The first room is an ante-cham- 
ber, filled with books, from which we pass into the Salla dell 
Maggior Consiglio, i. e. the " Hall of the Greater Council," a 
magnificent room, one hundred and seventy-five and a half feet 
long, eighty-four and one third broad, and fifty-one and one 
third high, adorned with the most splendid paintings by Tin- 
toretto, Bassano, Paul Veronese, and others, illustrating the 
glories of Venice. " Paradise" by Tintoretto, on the east end 
of the hall, is said to be the largest picture ever painted upon 
canvas, being eighty-four and one third feet in width, and 
thirty-four in height. The Public Library is now kept in this 
room. The ceiling is rich with painting and gilding, and just 
below the cornice there is a series of portraits of the Doges, 
with the black veil covering the space, which should have 
been occupied by Marino Falieri and the well known inscrip- 
tion, " Hie est locus, Marini Faletro, decapitati pro criminibus" 
— " This is the place of Marino Falieri, who was beheaded for 
his crimes." 

A corridor connects this hall with the Sala della Scru- 
tinio, i, e. " Hall of the Inquisition," which is also adorned 



WITH NEW EYES. 269 

Senate Hall— The Dungeons. 

with historical pictures, and a continuation of the Doges' 
portraits. 

The upper story contains another suite of apartments, adorned 
w-ith many fine paintings, and rich in historical associations ; the 
" Senate Hall," with the same furniture as in the days of the 
Republic ; the room where the " Council of Three" held their 
sittings ; the Audience Chamber in which the Doge and his 
Privy Council received foreign ambassadors. I sat in the Doge's 
chair, and to aid my imagination, thundered out an imperative 
mandate, sentencing the prisoner at the bar to the lowest dun- 
geons of the Palace ; whereat our guide manifested great con- 
sternation, and begged us to desist, lest we should be arrested on 
suspicion of revolutionary designs. From some of these rooms 
there were secret communications with the dungeons below. 

Descending to the second story, we entered another apart- 
ment, from which we were conducted to the Pozzi, i. e, 
" Wells" — two ranges of state dungeons one below the other. 
As we went down tlie narrow passage between the solid stone 
walls into the dark, close, heavy air below, where our lantern 
gave but a feeble light, it seemed as if we were bidding fare- 
well to freedom, happiness, and hope, and a cold shudder 
passed over me as I thought how many had gone down these 
steps, never to return. The cells are about five paces in length, 
two and a half in width, and perhaps seven feet high. They 
are closed by double doors, and the only opening was a small 
round hole in the wall over the door. At the end of the nar- 
row passage into which the cells open, is a small grated window. 
I went into one of the cells and closed the door, while the 
guides stood without, and I tried to conceive the feelings of one 
immured there. It seemed as if it would be impossible to sus- 
tain life there many days. 



270 OLD SIGHTS 



Place of Execution— Churches— Monuments— Cannova. 



At the end of anotlier passage is a door opening into a small 
room, -with a grated window and a door in the outside wall. 
This was the jplace of execution. The condemned was seated 
upon a stone step, and an iron collar fastened around his neck, 
and gradually tightened by a screw. The body was then taken 
out through the outside door, which is about on a level with 
the water, and carried off in a boat and sunk in the Adriatic. 

We afterwards crossed the covered bridge which connects the 
Palace with the prison, called the Bridge of Sighs, 

CHURCHES OF VENICE. 

These are numerous and splendid, filled with paintings and 
sculpture. The church of Sta. Afaria Gloriosa de" Frari con- 
tains many fine tombs. A plain slab in the pavement marks 
the spot where Titian was buried, who died in 1575, at the age 
of ninety-nine. In the body of the church are two large and 
splendid monuments ; on the right that of the unfortunate Doge 
Foscari, who died 1457 ; opposite is that of the Doge Nicoli 
Tron^ who died 1472, an immense structure, fifty feet in width, 
and seventy in height, composed of six distinct stories, and 
adorned by nineteen whole length figures larger than life, be- 
sides a profusion of bas-reliefs and other ornaments. 

The monument of the Doge Giovanni Pesaro (who died 
1658) is also a stupendous fabric, in singular taste. It is sup- 
ported by Moors or Negroes, of black marble, dressed in white 
marble, their black elbows and knees protruding through the 
rents of their white jackets and trowsers. The bronze skele- 
tons bear sepulchral scrolls ; and dragons sustain a funeral urn. 
In the centre sits the Doge. 

By the side of this is the monument erected to the memory 
of Canova the sculptor. It is a repetition of his own design 



WITH NEW EYES. 271 

Academy of Fine Arts. 

for the Archduchess Christina at Vienna — a vast pyramid o f 
white marble, with open doors of bronze, into which various 
mourners, Art, Genius, &c., are seen walking in funeral pro- 
cession. 

The door of the sacristy is a triumphal arch erected in honor 
of the Venetian general Benedetto Pesaro. Over the Pesaro 
altar is a beautiful votive picture by Titian. 

The church of San Giovanni e Paolo contains many fine 
sculptures. Here are the monuments of the Doge Michele 
Morosini (died 1382), the Doge Leonardo Loredano (died 
1521), and the Doge Andrea Vendramin (died 14*78), and 
many other Doges and Generals. The chapel of the Rosary is 
adorned with the finest alti-rilie\a I have ever seen. They 
represent various scenes in the history of our Lord, and the 
figures, of the purest white marble, stand out with a boldness 
and beauty of workmanship I have never seen equalled. Here 
is the celebrated Peter Martyr by Titian, one of his finest paint- 
ings. 

In the open space in front of this church stands the celebrated 
statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni da Bergamo, the second eques- 
trian statue erected in Italy after the revival of the arts. 

We also visited the Academy of the Fine Arts, an extensive 
collection of paintings and sculpture, containing the finest 
specimens of the Venetian school, by Titian, Paul Veronese, 
Tintoretto, Bassano, &c., and several of the palaces similarly 
enriched. We applied to the Austrian commandant for permis- 
sion to visit the Arsenal, but failing to obtain it were obliged 
to content ourselves with sailing up to the entrance, and admir- 
ing the four colossal marble lions which were brought from the 
Peloponnesus in 1685. One of them formerly stood at the 
entrance of the Pirseus at Athens. 



272 OLD SIGHTS 



The Arsen al— Street Music— House where Canova died. 

This arsenal is said to be nearly three miles in circuit, sui-- 
rounded by walls and towers built between 1307 and 1320. It 
has four basins, nearly surrounded by dry docks and slips for 
the building of vessels and workshops. The armories contain 
many curious specimens of ancient armor and weapons, and 
instruments of torture — and the model-room has some interest- 
ing illustrations of naval architecture in former times. One is 
deeply impressed with the greatness of Venice in her palmiest 



Venice has always been famous for street music. Some of it 
is very good. One day, while dining at the Restaurant San 
Gallo, in the open square before the building, we were enter- 
tained with music by an old man of sixty-seven years, who 
played a violin and accompanied it with his voice. He was 
succeeded by a lady and two men with a violin and two guitars, 
who made very sweet music. The passers by stopped to listen 
heads were put out from the neighboring windows, — at one 
window was a nurse with a beautiful child — the whole scene, 
was very picturesque. I copied the following inscription upon 
the house opposite ; " Has aedes Francesconiorum, quas ob 
diuturnse amicitiae candorem lautioribus hospitiis praetulerat, 
Antonius Canova sculpturae princeps, extreme hahtu consecra- 
vit. 3 Ides Oct. 1822." "This house of the Francescans, 
which, on account of the sincerity of long continued friendship, 
he had preferred to more splendid hospitality, Antony Canova, 
the prince of sculpture, consecrated by his last breath," 

We threaded the narrow passages of the city, we crossed the 
Rialto, and sought for counterparts of the Jew Shy lock ; we ex- 
plored the canals and bridges in our gondola, we floated down 
the Grand Canal in the golden glow of sunset, singing " Vir- 
ginia melodies," and taking a lingering farewell of those stately 



"WITH NEW EYES. 273 

The spell dispelled. 

places, stately even in their decay, many of them evidently 
settling down into the water, with great cracks in their walls, 
broken cornices, and grass growing upon their roofs, — we did 
our shopping in the arcades of the Piazza, we took our last ice 
at " Florian's," and thus ended the fairy spell of Venice. The 
next morning as we were rowed from the hotel to the railway 
station about daybreak, a cold grey mist rested upon every- 
thing ; everything was damp, dreary, and uncomfortable ; all 
the romance was gone, and we were glad to take our departure. 



274 OLD SIGHTS 



Verona and Milan— Amphitheatre— The Rehearsal. 



CHAPTER XXXII 



VERONA AND MILAN. 



We arrived at Verona at half past 8 a.m. after a ride of forty- 
three miles, about three hours by rail to Venice. An omnibus 
conveyed us from the station to the city and set us down at 
the " Hotel di due Torri,'' i. e. " Hotel of the Two Towers," an 
ancient feudal-looking building, formerly the Palazzo delP 
Aquilla, and once belonging to the Scaligeri. 

After breakfast we visited the Amphitheatre^ the most perfect 
of all the Roman amphitheatres now extant. It is built of 
Verona marble, and is 513 by 410 feet in diameter, and is 
supposed to be contemporary with the Coliseum — i. e. from 
81-1 IT, A.D. 

The arena was occupied in part by a temporary theatre, in 
which a company of actors were going through with a re- 
hearsal. Through a chink in the tent we had a glimpse of 
their proceedings. A young girl in a short frock, with bare 
neck and shoulders, was standing before the dancing-master 
rehearsing her part in the ballet. The teacher sat astride a 
chair, facing the back, and had a small cane in one hand with 
which he occasionally switched the poor girl's legs, instructing 
her to raise them higher and keep them extended longer. By 
her side sat an elderly lady with a bonnet on, who seemed to 
be her mother, and two or three of the " Verona dandies" were 



WITH NEW EYES. 275 

Romeo and Juliet— Milan. 

walking about smoking and quizzing the performance. The 
poor girl, who seemed not to have lost all her modesty, looked 
ashamed and fatigued ; and the perspiration streamed down her 
face and neck. I pitied her with all my heart. 

While standing in a court-yard waiting for the diligence, we 
were much amused with a coarse representation of " Romeo and 
Juliet" at the " Tomb of the Capulets," painted in fresco upon 
the wall of an upper story. The inn is called the Casa de 
Cappalletti, and is supposed to have been the dwelling of that 
family. The tomb of Juliet is shown in another place, but it 
cannot be the genuine one, as there is e-vddence to prove that it 
was long since destroyed. 

We left Yerona at half past 5 p.m.; passed Peschiera^ a 
strongly fortified town with double walls and moat, and bearing 
marks of its late siege by the Austrians, alongside of the Lago 
di Garda^ through Brescia^ a flourishing city of 35,000 inhabit- 
ants, where we waited some time, at the dead of night, in the 
silent streets, to Treviglio, about eighty miles, where we arrived 
at 10 A.M. the next day, after a long, dusty, wearisome ride. 
We had been obhged to occupy the rotonde, the worst part of 
the diligence, which catches all the dust. We took the railway 
at eleven and a quarter, and arrived at Milan, eighteen miles 
distant, about twelve. 

MILAN. 

We found excellent accommodations at the Grand Hotel de 
la Yille. It is a fine house, and well kept. After dinner, we 
walked out to take a survey of the city. 

Milan was anciently a town of the Cisalpine Gauls, and is 
mentioned by Livy and Polybius under the name of Mediola- 
num. It was taken by the Romans b. c. 221. In the fourth 



276 OLD SIGHTS 



The Cathedral— View from the top. 



and fifth centuries, it was occasionally the residence of the 
Emperors. At the fall of the Western empire, it was twice 
devastated, once by Attila, and afterwards by the Goths. It is 
now the capital of Lombardy, and the third city of Italy, having 
a population of 175,000. It stands in the midst of a vast plain 
between the rivers Olona and Lambro, vfith. which it communi- 
cates by a canal called Naviglio Grande, which flows all around 
the old town. The suburbs are inclosed by a hne of ramparts, 
planted with trees, which serves as a promenade. The external 
circuit of the town is nearly ten miles. 

The first building that attracts the eye of the stranger is the 
DuoMO or Cathedral. We visited it more leisurely the next 
morning. It is a magnificent edifice, all of white marble in the 
florid Gothic style. The view of the exterior from the top is 
truly wonderful. With its hundred spires, so tall and slender 
and delicately chiselled, it seems as if the wind would blow them 
over, and its three thousand statues crowning every pinnacle, it 
looks like a forest of marble. I could think of nothing so much 
like it as a forest of fir-trees mantled in snow. 

The prospect of the surrounding country is very fine. You 
can see the whole Lombard plain and the chain of Alps which 
border it on the north side. The guide bid us wait a moment, 
while he went to get his horse. Whereupon he brought out 
of an adjoining room a good sized telescope to assist our eyes, 
and by means of a map, pointed out to us many of the peaks 
and passes of the Alps. We also ascended to the gallery which 
runs round the principal spire. On the top is a statue of the 
Virgin Mary. The guide told us with an air of great sincerity, 
that the gilt stars of the lightning-rods had often been much 
bent and battered by the hail-stones, but the figure of the Vir- 
gin was never in the least injured ! 



WITH NEW EYES. 277 

^ Interior— Arch of Peace. 

The interior is vast and imposing, adorned with a multitude 
of statues and monuments. The principal dimensions are : ex- 
treme length, four hundred and eighty-five feet ; breadth, two 
hundred and eighty-seven feet ; height of the ceiling in the 
nave, one hundred and fifty-three feet ; from the pavement to 
the top of the statue of the Madonna which crowns the spire, 
three hundred and fifty-five feet. The pavement is laid in a 
mosaic pattern of red, blue, and white marble. Just beyond 
the entrance it is erossed by a meridian line laid down by the 
academicians of the Brera in 1786. The sun's rays, coming 
through a small hole in the roof, crosses it at noon-day. As 
the hour of twelve approached, a crowd of persons collected 
near the meridian line, with watches in hand to set their time 
by it. 

Toward evening we took a carriage and rode out to see the 
Arch of Peace, which stands at the termination of the Simp- 
Ion road. It was originally intended to have been called the 
Arch of the Simplon, and to have been embelHshed with a 
statue of Victory in commemoration of the battle of Jena, and 
with bas-reliefs representing the events of ISTapoleon's wars. 
When it fell into the hands of the Austrians, its name was 
changed to the Arch of Peace, whose figure is placed in the car, 
and the sculptures underwent a transformation to make them 
represent the events which succeeded the general peace. On 
the top of the Arch is a bronze figure of Peace in a car drawn 
by six horses. Four figures of Fame, one at each angle, an- 
nounce her arrival. Innumerable sculptures adorn the various 
sides. A stair- case in the interior leads to the summit. The 
total cost of it is estimated at over '714,000 dollars! Its general 
dimensions are seventy-two and a half, by forty-two and a half 
feet in depth, and the extreme height ninety-eight feet. It 

13 



278 OLD SIGHTS 



The Arena— La Scala— The Brera. 



appears to fine advantage at the head of the spacious Piazza 
d^Armi. 

Near by is the AreTm, or modem amphitheatre, built for the 
exhibition of chariot and horse races, bull fights and other 
games. It is of an oval form, seven hundred and eighty by 
three hundred and ninety feet in diameter, surrounded by ten 
rows of seats, capable of containing 30,000 spectators. We 
were somewhat disappointed, however, to find the seats made of 
turf instead of stone. The arena can be filled with water for 
naval exhibitions. 

La Scala is the name of the principal Theatre in Milan, 
said to be the largest in Italy, capable of seating 3600 spec- 
tators. 

Milan is the literary metropolis of Italy. It is a favorite 
place of residence for Italian writers, and more books are pub- 
lished here than in all the rest of Italy. Booksellers* shops 
abound, and it is an excellent place to obtain prints, and maps, 
and guides, for all the adjoining countries. 

The Brera (or " Palazzo della Scienze e delle Arti^'' i. e, 
"Palace of the Sciences and Arts") is a great establishment, 
containing an extensive gallery of Paintings called the Pina- 
coteea, a Museum of sculpture, a Public Library, an Observatory, 
and a Botanical Garden. The Library contains 100,000 volumes, 
and is open to the public. The Amhrosian Library is cele- 
brated for its numerous and valuable manuscripts, and especi- 
ally for its palimpsests — manuscripts from which the original 
writing has been erased or washed out and which have then 
been written on again. This was done to economize the parch- 
ment. In many cases the original writing has been restored. 
Thus, a manuscript, containing a commentary of St. Augustine 
upon the Psalms, was found to have underneath Cicero's trea- 



WITH NEW EYES. 279 

"Last Supper." 

tise " De Republica." In this way many ancient productions 
have been brought to light. 

Another object of interest to visitors is the celebrated " Last 
Supper" oi Leonardo da Vinci^ begun in 1493, the original of 
nearly all the engTavings of tnat scene. It was painted in 
fresco upon the wall of the refectory of the Dominican Convent, 
which is attached to the church Santa Maria delle Grazie. It 
has been so much injured by the ravages of time and violence 
as to afford little satisfaction to the beholder. 



280 OLD SIGHTS 

Tower of the Baradello— Beauty of Como. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

MILAN TO LAKE COMO, LAKE MAGGIORE, AKD DOMO d'oSSOLA. 

We left Milan at a quarter past five in tlie morning, went by- 
rail through Monza as far as Camerlata^ and thence by omni- 
bus to Como, about thirty miles in all, where we arrived at 
half-past seven. The country became more mountainous as we 
advanced. A very conspicuous object in the landscape just 
before you reach Como is the ancient tower of the Baradello^ 
situated upon a lofty sandstone rock, with its castellated walls 
running down the abrupt sides of the steep. It served as a 
beacon tower, to give notice by fires blazing on its summit of 
the approach of the enemy. Here Napoleone della Torre, the 
popular chief and lord of Milan, having been defeated by his 
rival Ottone Visconti, in 1277, was shut up in an iron cage. 
After lingering for nineteen months, devoured by vermin and 
suffering the most extreme misery, he ended his captivity by 
dashing his head against the bars of his prison. 

CoMO, the capital of the Province of Como, is a city of about 
15,000 inhabitants, delightfully situated at the extremity of the 
south-western branch of Lake Como. It is a favorite summer 
retreat of the Milanese. There are many beautiful villas in the 
vicinity upon the banks of the lake. " Ugo Foscolo used to 
say, that it was impossible to study in the neighborhood of 
Como ; for the beauty of the landscape always tempting you to 



WITH NEW EYES. 281 

Antiquity— The Lake. 

the window to look out, quite prevented you from giving proper 
attention to your book." 

It is a place of gi-eat antiquity. The Romans took it from 
the Gauls 196 b.c. C. Pompeius Strabo afterwards peopled 
it with a Grecian colony, and its name was changed from Co- 
mum to Novum Comum. It was the birthplace and favorite 
residence of the two Plinys. The site of "Pliny's villa" is 
pointed out to the visitor, and the front of the Cathedral is 
adorned with two statues, erected by the Comaschi (as the in- 
habitants are styled) to their " fellow citizens." After the fall 
of the empire, Como passed under the Goths, Longobards, and 
Franks, and became at last an independent municipal com- 
munity. It was one of the chief towns of the Ghibelinas in 
Lombardy, and as such quarrelled repeatedly with the Milanese, 
who" took it after a long siege and burnt it in 1127. It was re- 
built by Frederic Barbarossa, and remained a republic for two 
centuries, until it fell under the dominion of the Visconti, the 
lords of Milan. 

After breakfast we took the steamer to Bellagio, about twenty 
miles north of Como, situated upon a promontory at the crotch 
of the two branches of the lake — one stretching in a south- 
western direction to Como, and the other south-easterly to 
Lecco. The view from this point is very fine, extending up the 
main lake and down the two branches. The water is as smooth 
and pellucid as glass, the mountains, some of them nine thou- 
sand feet high, slope down to its very edge, and their sides are 
clothed with the most luxuriant vegetation, and dotted with the 
most picturesque villas. I lingered a long time in the gardens 
and upon the terraces of the Villa Serbelloni on the height, 
enchanted with the scenes. 

Here my friend Signor I., who had been my travelling com- 



282 OLD SIGHTS 



Yilla Melzi— Cadenabbia. 



panion since I left Rome, took his leave of me and proceeded 
farther up the lake to Colico^ there to take the road which leads 
to the Splugen pass of the Alps. 

I visited several of the villas in the neighborhood — the 
Villa Melzi, once the residence of the Vice-president of the 
republic in the first years of Bonaparte's dominion. The chapel 
has a beautiful statue of Christ bearing his cross, and many bas- 
reliefs and frescoes. The drawing-rooms are also adorned with 
many fine statues and paintings, and one hall contains a series 
of the marble busts of the family, father, mother, sons, and 
daughters, all in a row. The sleeping apartments are small, and 
though neat, very plain in their furniture. Also visited a villa 
belonging to a Prussian princess — Carlotti. 

I then took a boat and crossed to Cadenabbia, where I dined 
under the shade, with the beautiful lake and the mountains in 
full view. I was surprised at the distinctness with which voices 
on the opposite side, two miles distant, could be heard. About 
noon there was very Httle air stirring, and the heat became very 
oppressive. I strolled along the bank, prying into some of the 
neighboring houses and gardens, much amused with the ap- 
pearance of the peasant girls, in great wooden shoes, and with 
a profusion of pewter pins, headed with large balls, in their hair 
— till I was glad to see the steamer at hand at half-past three 
o'clock, in which I returned to Como. At dinner I formed a 
pleasant acquaintance with the American Ambassador to the 
court of Austria, who was on his way home from Vienna with 
his family. " Allow me to ask you, sir," said -he, " if you are 
not an American ? " " Certainly, sir," I replied, " I am." " I 
thought so," said he — " but my daughter insisted that you were 
an Englishman^ After dinner I walked about the city, visited 
the Cathedral and the Broletto, or Town-hall, built in 1215, 



TVITH NEW EYES. 283 

Town Hall— Ride to Varese. 

interesting as a memorial of the ancient days of the indepen- 
dence of the Italian republics. It is of marble, alternate courses 
of black and white, and one course of red. The lower story is 
a Loggia upon open arches. Above is a floor with large win- 
dows, where the chiefs of the municipality assembled ; and from 

the middle window projects the " riugkiera,^^ or tribune, from 

ft 
which they addressed the crowd of citizens convened in parlia- 
ment below — for in ancient Italy the parliament was the primary 
assembly of the democracy, whence the government originated, 
and to whom the ultimate appeal was made. 

At 6 the next morning I took the diligence for Varese, about 
seventeen miles west of Como. My fellow occupant of the 
coupe was a Swede, a very intelligent and agreeable gentleman, 
with whose company I was favored all the day. There was a 
delicious coolness in the morning air, the carriage was very 
comfortable, the scenery fine, and we had a delightful ride. 
Verese is a town of considerable activity, famous for the excel- 
lent quahty of its silk. Here we took a private carriage to 
Laveno, twelve miles to the nort-west, on Lake Maggiore. This 
was one of the most beautiful rides I ever took. Just after 
leaving Yarese, we passed the celebrated " Sanctuary of the 
Virgin," called Madonna del Monte, situated upon a lofty hilL 
By the side of the road which leads to the church on the sum- 
mit there are fourteen chapels, representing the fourteen mys- 
teries of the Rosary. The sanctuary is said to have been 
founded in 397, by St. Ambrose, to commemorate a great vic- 
tory — not in argument, but in arms — gained by him on this 
spot, over the Arians. All along the way we had a succession of 
the most exquisite views of beautiful lakes lying '• in the shel- 
tered lap of hills," and distant mountains with snow-clad sum- 
mits. 



284 OLD SIGHTS 



Lake Maggiore — Borromean Islands— Isola Bella. 



At Laveno, whidi is on the shore of Lake Maggiore, we hired 
a boat (for twelve francs), to take ns to the Borromean islands. 
The lake seemed to me far more beautiful than Lake Como. It 
seemed hardly two miles across, the air was so clear and the 
water so tranquil, yet the distance was eight. We could see 
Mount Simplon, the Splugen, St. Gothard, and many other of 
the Alpine peaks. Before us were the islands", and on the shores 
of the lake, in every direction, numerous villages. The w^hole 
scene was bathed in a rich mellow light, which, without in the 
•least impairing the distinctness of vision, invested every object 
seen through its medium with a celestial glow of beauty. 

The Barromean Islands belong to a noble Milanese family 
of the same name. They are four in number, Isola Madre, Isola 
Bella, Isola die Piscatori,- and the Isolino, the smallest of all. 
The Isola Madre, which is the largest, is principally covered 
with a magnificent grove of trees of every variety — laurel, pine, 
cypress, fir, oak, chestnut, maple, specimens from all countries — 
many peculiar to our own country. Avenues radiate from the 
centre, afibrding beautiful views of the lake and its shores. 
You can see eight different villages through eight of these ave- 
nues, from one central position. Here are specimens of the 
camphor tree, the cork tree, the sago, aloes, groves of orange 
and lemon trees, and magnificent oleanders, rhododendrons, and 
Camillas. The terraces on the sides are so made, that they can 
be covered in the winter season and converted into a conser- 
vatory. 

Isola Bella is more artificial. It was originally a mass of 
bare and barren slate-rock, which, by incredible pains and ex- 
pense, has been converted into a beautiful garden. Every 
handful of mould was brought from a distance, and has to be 
constantly renewed. There are ten terraces, the lowest on piers 



WITH NEW EYES. 285 
The Palace. 

built out into the lake, rising in a pyramidal form, one above 
another, and lined with vases, obelisks, and black cypresses. 
Upon these terraces flourish the orange, citron, myrtle, and 
pomegranate, aloes, cactuses, sugar-cane, and cofl'ee, in the open 
air, within a day's journey of the frigid climate of the Simplon, 
and in sight of Alpine snows. Upon one end of the island is 
the Palace, a vast unfinished building, in which the Count 
Borromeo resides part of the year. It is rich in marble, gild- 
ing, and mirrors, and the lower apartments are shaped like 
grottoes, and embellished with statues and fountains. 

I left my companion on Isola Bella, and crossed to Baveno, 
on the western side, just in time to take the diligence from 
Milan on the Simplon road. We passed through Fariolo, 
Gravellona, Ornavasca, near which are seen the white marble 
quarries, which supplied the stone for Milan Cathedral, Yog- 
ogna, the country becoming more and more mountainous as 
we proceeded, till at 9 o'clock we arrived at Domo d'' Ossola^ 
where I was glad to enjoy the Sabbath rest. 



13* 



286 OLD SIGHTS 



Sabbath in Domo d'Ossola. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

DOMO d'ossola, the simplon, the tete noire to CHAMOUNI. 

The next morning, while taking my breakfast at a neighboring 
cafe, I made the acquaintance of a pleasant young gentleman 
whom I found to be an Italian from Turin, recently settled in 
the place as a practising physician. He said the population 
was about twenty-five hundred, and that he was not very well 
satisfied with his situation — thought he should not remain here 
long. Turin was his beau ideal of a residence. He expatiated 
upon its fine buildings, and streets, and many advantages, and 
earnestly advised me not to go home without visiting it. After 
breakfast he politely ofiered his services to show me the place. 
I accepted his courtesy, and we traversed some of the principal 
streets on our way to the church, a very inferior building in 
external appearance, but somewhat richly decorated within. 
There were a few persons in attendance upon the service, and I 
tried to imagine that they might be sincere worshippers, though 
in forms so different from those to which I had been accustom- 
ed ; but there was little appearance of devotion, and with a sigh 
I returned to the hotel and passed the rest of the day in my 
room. During part of the time a company of Sardinian 
infantry was on parade in the streets under my windows. 

In the night there was a violent storm of wind and rain. It 
passed off very quickly, however, and at 3 o'clock the next 



WITH NEW EYES. 287 

Pass of the Simplon— Fine Road— Gorge of G-ondo— Inscriptions of Trarellers, 

morning, ^-hen I took my seat in the diligence, it was bright 
star light. I had a very comfortable seat in the cou}3€, there 
was only one other passenger, we had four fine horses, and my 
mind was on tip toe with expectation. I was about to cross 
the Alps, by that very route which had always excited my 
highest admiration from its association with the indomitable 
genius of its author — the pass of the Simplon, We passed 
through Crevola, which commands a beautiful view of the 
valley, crossed the Doveria on a lofty stone bridge of eight 
arches, nearly ninety feet high, and began to feel the growing 
chilliness of the air as we ascended, I was surprised to find 
the road so good — fi'om twenty-five to thirty feet in breadth, 
and the average slope nowhere exceeds six inches in six and. a 
half feet. 

"We stopped at Isella, the Sardinian frontier, to have our 
baggage and passports examined, and then entered the Gor^e 
of Gondo, one of the grandest and most savage passages in the 
Alps. In one place, a vast projecting buttress of rocks jutting 
out from the mountain on the right seemed to block up all 
further passage. But the engineer pierced the solid granite 
with a tunnel five hundred and ninetf-six feet in length, called 
the Gallery of Gondo. Just before entering the mouth of this 
cavern, a roaring water-fall leaps down from the rocks close to 
the road, which is carried over it on a beautiful bridge. After 
passing the gallery, the road is hemmed in by perpendicular 
rocks rising to a great height, and in some places actually 
overhanging it, while a mountain torrent, dashiog furiously 
over the scattered fragments which have fallen from the clifis 
above, runs alongside of it for some distance. We stopped at 
Simplon to dine. The walls of the inn were covered with the 
inscriptions of travellei-s. I copied the following in my note 



288 OLD SIGHTS 



Summit of the Pass— Avalanches— Glacier Galleries. 



book: "Louis Spleny, de la Ilongrie, apres la malheureuse 
"bataille de Novara, pour eviter le General Autrichien, qui 
demandait son extradition, le 26 Mai, 1849. Vive la Hongrie I 
Vive Kossuth ! Vive I'independence ! Vive la guerre ! Mort aux 
Autricbiens !" " Louis Spleny, of Hungary, after the unfortu- 
nate battle of ISTovara, to escape tbe Austrian General, who 
demanded his surrender, 26th May, 1849. Live Hungary! 
Live Kossuth 1 Live Independence ! Live "War ! Death to the 
Austrians 1" This may serve as an illustration of the spirit of 
those times. 

Soon after leaving Simplon we reached the summit of the 
pass, a large open valley, bounded by snow-clad heights with 
no vegetation but lichens and coarse herbage on the rocks, and 
an indescribable aspect of barrenness and desolation. Here is 
the Kew Hospice, founded by Napoleon for the reception of tra- 
vellers, a large stone building, occupied by three or four brothers 
of the Augustine order, members of the same community as 
those on the great St. Bernard. Several of the celebrated dogs 
of St. Bernard are kept here. Half a mile farther a simple 
cross of wood marks the highest point of the road, six thousand 
five hundred and seventy-eight feet above the level of the sea. 

We now enter upon that part of the road which is the most 
dangerous of all, at the season when avalanches fall. On this 
account it is provided with six places of shelter, viz. three 
galleries, two refuges, and a hospice, within a distance of one 
mile and three quarters. Overhead is the gorge of Schalbet in 
the sides of Mount Simplon, filled with glaciers which stretch 
down to the road. Below is a yawning abyss, along the edge 
of which the road is conducted. To protect this part of it, 
three galleries, called Glacier Galleries^ have been constructed, 
partly excavated, and partly built of masonry, strongly arched. 



TTITH NETV EYES. 289 
Tiew of the Bernese Alps— Martigny. 

Thev serve as bridges and aqueducts at the same time, the 
torrents being carried over and beneath them, so that you are 
sometimes riding under ?. waterfall. 

I shall never forget the magnificent view of the Bernese Alps 
(which bound the valley on the opposite side of the Rhone), 
as we began to descend towards Brieg. Their glittering white 
peats, with glaciers stretching down their sides, seemed nearer 
to us than the valley which intervened, and they whispered to 
us of a purity and majesty that does not belong to earth. 

After a detention of two and a half hours at Brieg, during 
which I explored the town, which contains about six hundred and 
fifty inhabitants, visited the Jesuits' College and the Ursuline 
Convent, I proceeded on my way, through Visp, Tourtemagne, 
Sierre, Sion, Riddes — the last part of the way for a long distance 
alongside of the Ehone, which shone hke molten silver in the 
bright moonlight, to Martigny, where we arrived at 3 o'clock 
in the morning, at the Hotel du Cygne. 

I went to bed and slept till 8 o'clock, then breakfasted and 
took a guide, a pied, i. e. on foot, for the Tete IS'oire pass to 
Chamouni. I thouo^ht it a sinomlar coincidence that in mv 
regular course of Bible reading, I had this morning the 65th 
Psalm, in which occurs the following verse : " Which by his 
strength settethfast the mountains, being girded with p)oivery 

My guide was an old man, of fifty-five years, who had been a 
guide thirty years. He put my carpet bags and overcoat into 
a hamper, and carried it on his back. The sun came out very 
hot as we toiled up the path, and I felt sorry for the old man, 
who seemed too feeble for his burden, although he would not 
admit it. We soon overtook another guide, a hale young fellow 
with a stout mule, who had conducted a party from Chamouni 
to Martigny, and was now on his return. He had previously 



290 OLD SIGHTS 



Tete Noire Pass— The Mnntets. 



called on me at the hotel, and offered his services after I should 
reach Chamouni. I wished to engage him to Chamouni, but he 
gave me to understand that it would not do. I must hire a 
guide at Martigny. Such are the regulations to prevent 
interference on the part of the guides in one place with those 
in another. Now that I had hired a guide, however, he was at 
liberty to assist me. So he put my luggage on his mule and 
insisted that I should mount. I did so, and found it a great 
rehef. I enjoyed the scenery much more from the mule's back 
than when toiling up on my own legs. The view of the Rhone 
valley was very fine. 

"We passed over the mountain of Forclaz, and down through 
the forest which clothes its side by a steep path into the little 
valley of Trient, where we stopped at the little auherge for 
refreshment. The torrent which flows through the valley de- 
scends from the glacier of the Trient, and is icy cold even at 
the distance of miles from the glacier. 

Crossing the torrent and ascending the opposite side, the road 
lies through a dense forest for some distance, and then passes 
round the brow of a mountain covered with dark forests, called 
the Tete Noire (^. e. " Black Head"), which gives the name to 
the pass. After coming out of the forest, the road winds along 
the edge of a deep ravine, passes under an overhanging rock 
and through a gallery pierced through the rock, presenting 
successive views of the valley and mountains of great beauty 
and grandeur. 

The summit of the pass, a sterile gorge near the Montets, 
is a scene of savage wildness and desolation. On each 
side rise the sharp peaks like needles of granite into the clear 
air, while the valley between is strewed with huge fragments, 
and marked with furrows, as if it had been the bowling 



WITH NEW EYES. 291 

Sight of Mont Blanc. 

ground of giants. Here the avalanches have free play during 
the winter. 

I was growing very weary and dispirited when the sight of 
Mont Blanc in the distance revived me. I picked some 
flowers as mementoes of the time. The magnificent glaciers 
which stream down into the valley of Chamouni began to 
appear, Argentiere, Boisson, &c., the peaks of Montanvert, the 
Flegere, Breven, the Aiguilles, Rouges, (fee, &c. ; we passed the 
village of Argentiere, crossed the Arve, and down its banks to 
the hamlet of Les Pres, reaching Chamouni at 7 o'clock in the 
evening, where I found excellent accommodation at the Hotel 
de la Couronne. 



292 OLD SIGHTS 



Stormy Night— Early start for Montanvert. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

CHAMOUNY MONTANVERT — THE FLEGERE. 

As I awoke in the night I heard the wind howling furiously 
around the house, and the rain dashing against the windows. 
So, thought I, there is an end to my projected excursion for the 
morrow, and I comforted myself, as I turned over, with the 
prospect of a day of rest. Very much surprised then was I to 
be awakened out of a sound sleep at half past five in the 
morning, by my guide, knocking at the door, and telling me 
it was time to get up and start for Montanvert. I remonstrated 
and appealed to his sense of propriety whether this was the 
right sort of weather for a mountain excursion — a wet drizzly 
morning — when you could hardly see across the street. " O !" 
said he, " that's nothing, it will clear up by noon, and be a first- 
rate time." " Ah ! these guides !" said I to myself, as I pro- 
ceeded to draw on my clothes — " what mercenary beings they 
are ! All they care for is to get as many ' excursions ' out of 
you as they can, till there's nothing left but a skeleton. When 
you are perfectly satisfied that you are tired to death, and can't 
go a step farther, they persuade you that you're as fresh and 
vigorous as ever !" 

I hurried through my breakfast, equipped myself in an old 
over-coat, and mounted upon the trusty mule which my guide 
had waiting at the door, slowly wended my way through the 



WITH NEW EYES. 293 

Incidents of the Way. 

streets, the gazing stock of the guides and stragglers of the 
various hotels we passed. My guide walked now in advance, 
sometimes leading the mule by the bridle over difficult places, 
and now in the rear, shouting at him, or quickening his pace 
by a stick. We crossed the Arve and the opposite meadows, 
past several farm-houses, frequently accosted by children with 
curiosities or refreshments for sale, and occasionally by some 
poor beggar, afflicted with the goitre^ till we reached the foot 
of the mountain, where the path rises above the valley through 
a forest of pines. At a sudden turn, I noticed a little girl sit- 
ting upon a rock with a wooden box by her side, who seemed 
anxious to attract our attention, and as soon as she caught my 
eye, applied herself vigorously to a crank- in the box, which 
occasioned a most grotesque combination of discordant sounds, 
bearing a slight resemblance to the "Hunting chorus " of Der 
Freyschutz. After playing a little, she left her box and ran 
after us for the pay. Farther on we met a troop of children 
with strawberries for sale. The multitude of visitors to the 
vale of Chamouny for several years past has almost destroyed 
the simplicity of its inhabitants. Old and young seem de- 
termined to make as much as possible out of strangers, and 
all sorts of contrivances are resorted to for this object. One 
has some minerals for sale, another a bunch of flowers, another 
a salver with little cups of milk and rum, another a few wooden 
toys, another some views of the scenery, &c., &c. Two or 
three children will start up from behind a rock and sing an 
Alpine song, and before the last note has ceased, hold out their 
hands for money. Another stations himself at some place 
where there is a fine echo, with a tin-horn or a little can- 
non, and sells you as many echoes as you wish to buy. 
A few of such applications would not be unreasonable, 



294: OLD SIGHTS 



The Ascent—" Sea of Ice.' 



but they become so frequent and are prosecuted with such 
boldness and pertinacity as to annoy and disgust the tra- 
veller. 

The ascent is very steep in many places ; the path is full of 
rocks and roots of trees, sometimes carried along the edge of 
the declivity by means of trees cut down and filled in with 
branches and soil, through which great holes often gape into 
the valley below, and you tremble lest your mule should put 
his feet into them and send you over his head down the moun- 
tain. But the sagacious and sure-footed animal soon wins your 
confidence, and you resign yourself to his superior discernment. 
We crossed several " creux^'' as they are called, ^. e. hollows or 
ravines in the mountain side, down which the avalanches come 
in the winter season and sweep everything before them. Most 
of the way we were enveloped in a thick mist, but occasionally 
it would lift up and afibrd us beautiful glimpses of the valley. 
"We had a fine view of the Cascade dfArveiron. We reached 
the Pavilion on the summit in about two and a half hours from 
Chamouni. The sky cleared up, and we had a fine view of the 
sharp peaks across the adjoining glacier, such as tbe Aiguille 
du Dru, the Aiguille Verte, the loftiest of all rising to the 
height of thirteen thousand feet, and a thousand nameless 
pinnacles in different directions. 

After resting awhile, we prepared to descend upon the neigh- 
boring glacier, called the Mer de Glace, i. e. " Sea of Ice." This 
is not so easy as it seems at first sight. For the glaciers, as 
they work down towards the valley at the rate of a foot a day, 
throw up huge ridges on each side, composed of earth and 
stones and fragments of rocks, wbich are ground ofl" from the 
mountains by the friction of the glacier. These ridges or 
moraines, as they are called, sometimes sixty or one hundred 



WITH NEW EYES. 295 
The Glacier— The Jardin— Coleridge's Lines. 

feet high, must be surmounted before you can reach the surface 
of the glacier. 

The glacier appears very different when you are upon it 
from what it did at a distance. Instead of presenting a smooth 
surface, it is broken up into a great variety of forms ; here, huge 
blocks, and there sharp pinnacles sixty or eighty feet high, with 
unfathomable crevices between, down which you gaze with a 
shudder, as you think of the consequences of a slip of the foot 
upon the narrow edge of ice along which you are walking with 
the aid of a pointed staff. These crevices exhibit the beautiful 
deep blue color of the ice, which has never been satisfactorily 
explained. The river Arveiron has its source at the termination 
of this glacier in the valley below. The water issues from a 
vault of ice, which is continually changing its form, as great 
pieces are detached from the roof and tumbled down into the 
bed of the stream. 

A farther excursion of three and a half hours is sometimes 
made along the glacier to the Glacier du Talefre, to visit the 
Jardin {i. e. " Garden"), a rock in the ice, which is covered 
with beautiful herbage, and in the month of August enamelled 
with flowers. In many places you see the flowers of the Gen- 
tiana Major along the very ^digQ of the ice. Coleridge has 
finely described these glaciers in his " Hymn before sun-rise, in 
the vale of Chamouny." 

"Ye Ice-falls ! ye that from tlie mountain's brow 
Adorn enormous ravines slope amain — 
Torrents, methinks, that heard a mighty voice, 
And stopped at once amid the maddest plunge ! 
Motionless torrents ! silent cataracts ! 
Who made you glorious as the Gates of Heaven 
Beneath the keen, full moon ? Who bade the Sun 



296 OLD SIGHTS 



The Flegere— Ascent of Mont Blanc. 



Clotlie you with rainbows? Who with living flowers, 
Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet ? — 
God ! let the torrents like a shout of nations 
Answer ! and let the ice-plains echo, GOD !" 

On our way down we met more than fifty persons, some on 
mules, some on foot, and some carried in a sedan-chair by two 
men — old and young, ladies and children. After an interval of 
two hours for rest and dinner, I set out again for the Flegere. 
This is a mountain on the opposite side of the valley, command- 
ing a fine view of theMer du Glace, the Montanvert, and the whole 
range of Mont Blanc. A ride of half an hour to the foot of the 
mountain, then a long and wearisome ascent of two hours more 
to the Croix de Flegere and the Chalet. Just before reaching 
the summit we caught a glimpse of the peak of Mont Blanc, but 
most of the time he was wrapped in clouds. I stopped a little 
while at the Chalet to rest and obtain some refreshment, and 
wrote my name in the album, and purchased some prints of the 
views. I came down in fine spirits, repeating the stanza, 

" Mont Blanc is the monarch of naountains ; 

They crowned him long ago 
On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, 

With a diadem of snow." 

I have often been asked whether I made the ascent of Mont 
Blanc. The name Mont Blanc is given to the whole chain of 
mountains of which the Montanvert is one, and those who have 
visited that, often speak of having been to Mont Blanc. But the 
peak of Mont Blanc itself is rarely visited. The attempt has been 
often made without success, for several years. It requires a 
favorable combination of circumstances which rarely occurs. It 
is moreover attended with an expense of one or two hundred 



WITH NEW EYES. 297 

Curiosities. 

dollars to each individual of the party, as each person must 
have five or six guides and porters to carry the provisions. 

In the evening I visited some of the curiosity shops, which 
contain a great variety of articles to ser/e as mementoes of 
Chamouny — such as crystals from Mont Blanc, miniature Swiss 
cottages, cows and chamois ingeniously carved out of wood, and 
cane tops and knife handles, of chamois horn. 



298 OLD SIGHTS 



Ride to Geneva. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

CHAMOUNY TO GENEVA, LAUSANNE AND FREYBUKG. 

At T o'clock tlie next morning I started for Geneva in a 
char-a-banc, which is the body of a gig placed sideways upon 
four wheels, at a very little distance fi-om the ground. It is a 
light strong vehicle, capable of carrying two or three persons, 
and can be used on roads which will not admit of any other 
kind of carriage. I sat upon the same seat with the driver, 
and greatly enjoyed the sublime views of the mountains which 
were continually presented to us. We passed the hamlet of 
Bossons, near the Glacier of the same name, crossed the steep 
ridge of the Montrets which separates the vale of Chamouuy 
from the vale of Servoz, crossed the river Arve upon the Pont 
Pelissier, and after riding some ways close under the foot of the 
Breven, arrived at Servoz, where we stopped a few minutes. 
Kear the inn is a curiosity shop, where we saw a live chamois 
on exhibition. 

From Servoz to Sallenches, where we arrived at the Hotel de 
la Belle Vue, and were transferred from the char-a-banc to the 
diligence. Two Englishmen and a German occupied the ban- 
quette with myself, and we had a very pleasant and sociable 
time. "We passed through Cluses Bonneville, crossed the Sar- 
dinian frontier, and entered the gates of Geneva at six and a 
half P.M. I went to the Hotel des Bergues, where, to ray great 
joy, I found a package of letters awaiting my arrival. 



TTITH NEW EYES. 299 

Geneva— Isle of Rousseau— Kamble through the Streets—" The Eagles." 

Geneva is at the western extremity of the lake, at the point 
where the Khone issues out of it. The river divides it into two 
parts. The Quartier des Bergiies, which is of modern origin, is 
connected with the opposite side by two handsome bridges, 
which unite with a small island called the Isle of Housseau. 
This island has a statue of Rousseau, and is planted with trees, 
and laid out into walks for public resoTt. There was a concert of 
instrumental music here on the evening of my arrival, and the 
grounds were full of promenaders fi-om the different hotels, 
among whom I was delighted to find several Americans. It 
was a beautiful moonlight night, and we took a boat and rowed 
out into the lake, where we lay for some time, listening to the 
music from the shore. 

The next morning we took a long walk in the "vncintiy, visited 
the Ramparts, which serve as promenades, commanding fine 
views of the lake and mountains ; — explored the streets of the 
city, saw the house in which John Calvin lived, the Cathedral, 
the Museum of Ifatural History, did some "shopping" in 
the print shops and watch-makers, admired the extensive assort- 
ment of watches, music-boxes, and jewelry, which met our eyes 
— heard with surprise the favorite " Christie's melodies," which 
had just come out when we left home, and wound up with 
visiting the tivo live eagles, which are maintained at the public 
expense in honor of the armorial bearings of Geneva — two 
ragged, scrawny, miserable looking birds, that are suggestive of 
anything rather than cWA freedom and prosperity. In the 
evening, while sitting in the reading-room of the Hotel des 
Bergues, we were favored for a few minutes with a most lovely 
view of Mont Blanc in the distance, presenting the appearance 
of a snow-bank tinged with a rose-colored hue of the setting 
sun. 



800 OLD SIGHTS 



Steamer to Lausanne— Lord Byron— Gibbon's Residence. 

At nine o'clock the next morning, I took the lake steamer 
^'- Helvetic^'' as far as Lausanne. It was a cold, cloudy morning, 
and the lake grew blacker and blacker till the storm burst upon 
us and drove all the passengers to the cabin for shelter. In a 
few minutes the smooth surface of the w^ater was convulsed with 
waves, and when we arrived at Lausanne, it was so rough we 
could hardly take the small boat to be landed. Soon after 
leaving Geneva, we passed the small village of Coppet^ where 
"we saw the house in which Madame de Stael lived, and her 
father, the French minister Necker. 

At the landing Ouchy^ which is a suburb of Lausanne, a 
young woman superintended the removal of our baggage to the 
omnibusses, which conveyed us up the hill to the town. Near 
by is a small inn where Byron wrote the " Prisoner of Chillon" 
in the short space of two days, during which he was confined 
here by bad weather. 

I stopped at the Hotel du Gibbon, so named after the cele- 
brated historian of the Roman Empire, who spent many years 
of his life at Lausanne, while receiving his education and 
prosecuting his literary labors. The dining-room contains a 
portrait of him, and the wall of the hotel occupies the site of 
the summer-house in which he wrote the last page of his great 
work. 

" It was," he says, " on the day or rather the night of the 
27th of June, 1787, between the hours of eleven and twelve, 
that I wrote the last line of the last page in a summer-house 
in my garden. After laying down my pen, I took several walks 
in a berceau or covered walk of acacias, which commands a 
prospect of the country, the lake and the mountains. The air 
was temperate, the sky was serene, the silver orb of the moon 
was reflected from the waters,' and all nature was silent. I 



WITH NEW EYES. 301 

Freyburg— The Organ— Curious Bas-relief. 

will not," he adds, " dissemble the first emotions of joy on 
recovery of my freedom, and perhaps the establishment of my 
fame. But my pride was soon humbled, and a sober melan- 
choly was spread over my mind by the idea that I had taken 
an everlasting leave of an old and agreeable companion, and 
that whatever might be the future date of my History, the life 
of the historian must be short and precarious." 

From Lausanne I took the Poste at half past six in the even- 
ing for Freyhurg, where I arrived two hours after midnight, 
and was most comfortably entertained at the Hotel de Zah- 
ringen. 

The principal " lions" of Freyburg are the Suspension bridges 
and the Organ in St. Nicholas' church. The organ is said to 
be the finest in the world. It was built by Aloys Mooser, a 
native of the town, and has four rows of keys and sixty-eight 
stops (which do not draw out as in common, but slide to the 
right and left), and seven thousand eight hundred pipes, some 
of them thirty-two feet long. The case is of black walnut, 
richly ornamented with gilt covered work. It has one stop 
(Bassoon-hautbois) which so faithfully imitates the human 
voice, that it is often mistaken for a choir of voices. I was de- 
ceived by it myself and actually supposed for the time that 
there was a choir of boys accompanying the instrument. The 
imitation of a full band was excellent, and also the storm- 
piece with which the performance terminated, imitating the 
howling of the wind, the rolling of the thunder, and the general 
melee of the tempest. 

The portal to the church is surmounted by a curious bas- 
relief in dark stone, representing the Last Judgment. In the 
centre stands St. Nicholas, and above him is seated the Saviour. 
On the left, an angel is weighing mankind in a huge pair of 

14 



802 OLD SIGHTS 

Suspension Bridge— Pensionnat— Ancient Lime-Tree. 

scales, not singly, but in lots, and a pair of imps are maliciously 
endeavoring to pull down one scale, and make the other kick 
the beam ; below is St. Peter, ushering the good into Paradise. 
On the right hand is a devil with a pig's head, dragging after 
him by a chain a crowd of the wicked, and also with a basket 
on his back filled with figures, which he is apparently about to 
precipitate into a vast caldron suspended over a fire, which 
several other imps are stirring and blowing with the bellows. 
In the corner is Hell, represented by the jaws of a monster, 
filled up to the teeth with lost souls, and above it is Satan on 
his throne. The efiect of the whole is ludicrous in the ex- 
treme. 

The Suspension Bridge is thrown over the deep gorge of the 
river Saane (a tributary of the Rhine), to connect the opposite 
sides of the town. At the time of its construction in 1834, it 
was the longest of a single curve in the world. It is nine 
hundred and forty-one feet long, twenty-two feet eleven inches 
wide, and at an elevation of one hundred and eighty feet above 
the bed of the stream. Below is another wire bridge across 
the gorge of Gotteron, which is six hundred and forty feet long, 
and three hundred and seventeen high. The houses of the 
town are partly in the bottom of the gorge on the banks of the 
river, partly on the heights above, presenting a singular and 
romantic appearance. On an elevated site is the Pensionnat 
or Jesuits' School, in which some four hundred children, many 
of them from wealthy Roman Catholic families in France and 
Germany, are educated. 

Near the ancient Rathhaus, L e. " Town-house," is the trunk 
of a lime tree, said to have been planted on the day of the battle 
of Moriat, in 1476. A young Frey burger, who had fought in 
the battle, anxious to bring home the good news, ran the whole 



WITH NEW EYES. 303 

Ancient Lime-Tree. 

way, and arrived at this spot bleeding, out of breath, and so 
exhausted that he fell down and had barely time to cry " Vic- 
tory," when he expired. The branch of lime, which he carried 
in his hand, was immediately planted, and grew into this tree. 
The decayed trunk, which is twenty feet in circumference, is 
surrounded by a railing with seats, and is preserved with great 
care. Some old men, who were sunning themselves upon the 
seats, accosted me with great cordiality as I approached, and 
seemed pleased to enter into conversation with a stranger. The 
line of separation between the French and German languages 
passes through Freyburg, so that French is spoken in the upper 
town, and in the lower town German. 



304 OLD SIGHTS 



Freyburg to Berne. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

FREYBURG TO BERNE AND INTERLACHEN. 

I LEFT Freyburg at 3 o'clock the next morning, in the Poste for 
Berne, sixteen or seventeen miles distant. Bright moonlight 
rested upon the quaint old buildings, as we rattled through the 
silent streets, passed under the lofty portal, and rolled over the 
great suspension bridge which, though apparently so frail, was 
not in the least disturbed by the passage of our heavy coach, 
and four horses. The country seemed fertile and under good 
cultivation, and the appearance of the Bernese cottages is ex- 
tremely picturesque. I found an agreeable companion in one 
of the passengers, a Swiss manufacturer, travelling on business, 
a gentleman of intelligence, who seemed happy to communi- 
cate to strangers any desired information respecting the institu- 
tions and resources of his country. He greatly enlarged my 
ideas of the extent and enterprise of the manufacturing interest 
in Switzerland. We passed near the battle-ground of Laupen^ 
where the Swiss Confederates, under Rudolph of Erlach, de- 
feated the mailed chivalry of Burgundy and Suabia, in 1339, 
crossed the stream of the Sense, which separates the canton of 
Freyburg from Berne, and entered the gate of Morat, flanked 
by two great stone bears in a sitting posture, at about six 
o'clock. 
After breakfast, at the excellent Hotel du Faucon, my Swiss 



WITH NEW EYES. 805 

" The Bears "—Situation of Berne. 

friend took me to see " the bears!''' Berne signifies " a bear," 
in the old German or Suabian dialect, and this bas been the 
favorite device of the city from time immemorial. A bear con- 
stitutes the armorial bearings of the canton, a bear is stamped 
upon the coin ; you see bears upon the sign-posts, fountains, 
and public buildings. One of the principal fountains is sur- 
mounted by a bear in armor, with a sword at his side, and a 
banner in his paw. Another has the figure of a Swiss cross- 
bowman of former days, attended by a young bear as squire. 
Bears are the most conspicuous images in the toy-shops. 

But " the bears" we went to see were living specimens, 
which are maintained at the. public expense, in the ditch of the 
wall outside of the Aarburg gate. They have a keeper to take 
care of them, and a comfortable house for their accommodation. 
We tried various expedients to excite them to activity, but 
without success. It was too early in the morning, or the oc- 
casion was not of sufficient importance. Bruin obstinately refused 
to make an exhibition of himself, and maintained a sullen com- 
posure. When the French revolutionary army took possession 
of Berne in 1798, the bears were led away captive, and put 
into the Jardin des Plautes, in Paris. But when, after a series 
of years, the ancient order of things was restored, one of the 
first cares of the citizens was to replace and provide for their 
ancient pensioners. 

Berne is the capital of the largest of the Swiss cantons, the 
seat of the Diet, and the residence of most of the foreign 
Ministers. The number of its inhabitants is about twenty-three 
thousand. It is built upon a lofty sandstone promontory, 
formed by the winding course of the river Aar, which flows at 
the bottom of a deep gully with steep and precipitous sides, 
nearly surrounding the town. It is seventeen hundred feet 



806 OLD SIGHTS 



Charitable lastitutions— Antique Watch Towers— The Minster. 

above the level of the sea, and commands a fine ^^ew of the 
Bernese Alps. The houses are of massive stone, though not 
of gi'eat height, and in the principal streets rest upon arcades, 
which furnish covered walks, and are lined with shops and 
stalls. 

The fortifications have been converted into promenades. In 
the moat outside of the gate of Morat, a number of tame deer 
are kept at the public expense. They are very pretty animals, 
and their lively motions, especially the gambols of the young, 
afford much amusement to the children. 

Berne is celebrated for the number and excellence of its cha- 
ritable institutions. My friend took me to see the Hospital, a 
fine building, bearing the inscription, " Christo in pauperibus," 
" To Christ in the poor," i. e. as the poor are Christ's repre- 
sentatives on earth. The new Prison and Penitentiary are also 
grand and imposing edifices. 

In the principal street there are three antique watch towers, 
which attract the notice of the stranger. The Clock-tower 
about the centre (origiually built in 1191), further on the Cage- 
tower, now used as a prison, and beyond that Christopher's 
tower, with the figure of a giant upon it. The clock is a great 
curiosity. A minute before the hour strikes twelve, a wooden 
cock makes its appearance, crows twice and flaps his wings, 
and while a puppet strikes the hour on a bell, a procession of 
bears issues forth and passes in front of a figure on a throne, 
■who marks the hour by gaping and lowering his sceptre. 

We next visited the Minster, a beautiful Gothic building, 
begun in 1421 and finished in 1457. The chief entrance is 
adorned with sculptured reliefs of the Last Judgment in the 
centre, and the wise and foolish Virgins on the sides. The 
windows are painted with the coats of arms of the aristocratic 



WITH NEW EYES. 807 
The Platfoi m -My Carpet-Bag . 

burghers of Berne, iu all the pomp of heraldry. Along the 
walls are tablets, bearing the names of eighteen officers and six 
hundred and eighty-three soldiers, citizens of Berne, who fell 
fighting against the Frencli in 1798. 

Behind the Minster is the Platform^ a lofty terrace one 
Xumdred and eight feet above the river Aar, planted with noble 
chestnut trees, and furnished with seats for public accommoda- 
tion. From this spot the sunny peaks of the Bernese Alps are 
seen to great advantage. 

At half i)ast 10, I took my seat on the top of the diligence 
for Thun (pronounced Tuoii). We crossed the deep river of 
the Aar, upon the nciv stone bridge, and turning to the right * 
along the river, had a fine view of this noble structure. It is 
nine hundred feet long, and the central arch is one hundred 
and fifty feet wide, and ninety-three high. The weather was 
line, and the scenery very pleasing, but alas! I was not in a 
mood to enjoy it. My mind was ill at ease respecting the sole 
companion of my European tour, my trusty carfet-bag. The 
conductor had repeatedly assured me it was ihere^ but where I 
could not see. At the imminent risk of my neck, I explored 
the huge pile of luggage upon the roof, but nowhere amid the 
multitude of carpet-bags of every imaginable size, shape, and 
hue, could I discover that peculiar combination of red, green, 
and brown stripes, which alone had any interest in my eyes. I 
became so unmanageable, that the conductor at length good- 
iiaturedly undertook the search himself and after dragging out 
innumerable articles and subjecting them to my inspection, 
only to be condemned, finally succeeded in extracting from the 
remotest corner the identical carpet-bag, the sight of which 
restored me to my usual equanimity. My fellow passenger was 
a German, a velvet manufacturer at Kraufield, on the Bhine, 



308 OLD SIGHTS 



Lake Thun— The Mountains— Interlachen. 



who told, me that last year he seat two thousand pieces of velvet 
to Zsew York. 

When we arrived at Thun about half-past 1 p.m. it was rain- 
ing hard, and the removal of the passengers and their baggage 
to the small steamer on the lake was a scene of no little con- 
fusion. The lake is about fourteen miles long, and three wide, 
and in some places seven thousand feet deep. The river Aar, 
coming from the lake of Brienz, enters it at its south end, and 
issues from it at the opposite extremity. The town is on the 
Aar, about a mile below its egress fi-om the lake. The most 
conspicuous objects are the old feudal Castle, the former resi- 
dence of the Counts of Thun, and the venerable parish church 
with its loftj tower. 

The banks of the lake in the vicinity of Thun are adorned 
with many picturesque villas and gardens ; farther on the shore 
is more precipitous and barren. The inountains appear finely. 
The sharp peak of the Stoekhor^, and the pyramidal mass of the 
3?icsen, stand sentinels at the enti-ance of the rivers Kandu and 
Simraenthal, on the south side of the lake, and farther on to- 
wards the east are seen the Jungfrau and Finster Aar-horn. 

We were landed at JTcuhaus, about ten miles from Thun, 
where we found a long array of carriages, porters, guides, and 
horses, to carry passengers chieflj to Interlachen, which is two 
or three miles distant. On our way we passed through the 
village of Unierseen. Vnterseeii and Interlachen both signify 
" between the lakes," i.e. lake Thun and lake Brienz. Inter- 
lachen is a favoiite resort of the Germans and English. It con- 
tains a number of larg-e hotels and boarding- houses. I went to 
the Hotel Jungfrau, where, through the kind offices of a friend, 
I was favored with a fine front room, in full view of the snow- 
clad summit of the Jungii-au. To ray gi-eat surprise I met three 



WITH NEW EYES. 809 

Hotel Jungfrau— The Company. 

of my former companions in Italy, who had just arrived from 
a pedestrian tour, and two other Americans with them, so that 
we made out a party by ourselves. 

The company at the Hotel Jungfrau was mostly German and 
Swiss, with a sprinMing of Enghsh. I could not but observe 
that the Germans and Swiss were much better informed re- 
specting our country than the English. Swiss gentlemen 
especially seemed to take a pride in the growing prosperity of 
our republican institutions, as the natural fruit of seeds first 
sown in their own soil. They love to speak of the united states 
of Switzerland as the mother of the United States of America. 
An English lady who sat next to me at the table d'hote, ex- 
pressed great surprise on hearing that I was an American, 
because, said she, " you speak English so well." I suppose she 
expected to hear me speak nothing but Indian. She then asked 
me about California, and when I told her that California was 
farther from the place of my residence than it was from Eng- 
land, she evidently began to look upon me jvith suspicion, as 
one who was endeavoring to impose upon her credulity. 

There was some fine music in the drawing-room in the even- 
ing. One of the young ladies in particular, a German, had an 
uncommonly rich, clear voice. She sang several comic German 
songs with an inimitable grace. There was very little personal 
beauty, however. And in general, the traveller may expect that 
the loveliness of the women in Switzerland will be in inverse 
proportion to the loveliness of the country. 



14* 



810 OLD SIGHTS 



Guide and Horse— "The Evil Stone." 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

LAUTERBRUNNEX THE WEXGERN ALP, AND GRINDELWALD TO 

MEYRIXGEX. 

I HIRED a guide with his horse to take me through the val- 
ley of Lauterbrunnen over the Wengern Alp to Grindelwald 
the first day, over the great Scheideck to Meyringen the next 
day, and by the pass of the Brunig to Lungern the third day, 
calling it four days, allowing for his return part-way, at the 
rate of nine francs a day and one and a half franc a day " pour 
boire" or " trinkgeld," i. e. " drink-money " — the customary 
name for a gratuity — amounting to forty-two francs in all. 
Accordingly we set out for Lauterbrunnen at 7 o'clock in the 
morning, in a one-horse carriage. The road passes first 
through a tract of verdant meadow-land, on which great 
wrestling-matches are held periodically. The dilapidated old 
Castle of Unspunnen, the reported residence of Byron's " Man- 
fred," appears on the right, and we plunge into the narrow and 
savage gorge of the Lutschine, hemmed in by perpendicular 
rocks of limestone, that almost exclude the light of day. The 
road passes a projecting rock, called Bose Stein, " the Evil 
Stone," where a fratricide was committed. The lord of the 
Castle of Rothenflue, which stood on the opposite side of the 
valley, here murdered his own brother. 

At the hamlet of Zweilutschinen, about two miles from the 



WITH NEW EYES. 3il 

Valley of Lauterbmnuen— The Dust-Fall. 

entrance of the valley, wo came to the fork wliere it divides 
into two brandies, Tliat oii the left is the valley of Griildelwald, 
terminated by the gigantic mass of the Wetterhorn. That on 
the right is the Lauterbrunnen, up which we proceeded. "Zaw- 
terhrunnen " signifies " nothing but fountains," and the valley 
is so called from the number of streamlets that pour down its 
precipitous sides. 

The village of Lauterbrunnen is '2400 feet above the sea, 
and so shut in b}^ the mountains that in summer the sun does 
not appear till seven o'clock, and in wiiiter not before twelve. 
Here we left the cari'iage, and I walked on half a miie further 
to visit Staubbach (or Dust-fall), one of the loftiest water-falls 
in Europe. The stream is not large, but it pours over a, precipice 
nine hundred feet high, and long before it reaches the bottom 
is shivered into spray like dust. It has been compared to a 
beautiful lace veil, suspended from the precipice, and imitating 
in its centre the folds of drapery. Byron has described it as 
" curving over the rock like the tail of a white horse streaming 
in the wind," such as it might be conceived would be that of 
" the pale horse," on which Death is mounted in the Apocalypse. 

^' It is not noon — the sunbow's rays still arch 
The torrent Avitli the many lines of heaven, 
And roll the sheeted silver's waving column 
O'er the crag's headlong perpendicular, 
And fiing its lines of foaming light along. 
And to and fro, like the pale courser's tail, 
The giant steed to be bestrode by Deatli, 
As told in the Apocalypse. " 

When the clouds are low and rest upon the valley, this 
waterfall literally appears to leap down from the sky. 



812 OLD SIGHTS 



Wengern Alp— Mountain Echoes— The Jungfrau. 



Eetorning- 1 met my guide with his horse, which I mounted, 
and turning off to the left, commenced the ascent of the Wen- 
gern Alp, or Lesser ScheidecJc — down a hill^ across a brook, up 
the hill opposite, through some meadows, past the scattered 
houses of a hamlet, toiling up a steep zig-zag path for a long 
distance, then a succession of dilapidated stone stairways, till it 
seems as if you must soon be at the top of everything. At 
last, you emerge upon a more gradual slope of meadow land, 
when you are amply compensated for all yonr toil by the mag- 
nificent prospect of the valley below. A boy with a long 
wooden horn had posted himself at one place in the road to 
sell echoes to travellers. I bought a batz (about two cents) 
worth, and thought it a good bargain. He blew a few notes 
on his horn, and when he ceased, the mountains opposite took 
up the strain and repeated it many times with wouderful dis-' 
tinctness and sweetness. 

About noon we reached the inn, which has been built upon 
the broAv of the ravine directly facing the gigantic snow-clad 
mass of the Jungfrau, which rises in majestic purity on the op- 
posite side. Jung-frau means " young woman," or " virgin," 
and this name was given to the mountain either on account of 
the unsullied purity of the snow which clothes its sides, or 
because at that time it had never been surmounted by human 
foot. The air is so clear, and the proportions of surrounding- 
objects so colossal, as to destroy the usual effect of distance. It 
seems close to you, as if you could throw a stone against the 
mountain-side, which is five or six miles distant from you. 

I waited about two hours in hopes of seeing an avalanche 
fall. They are usually most numerous a little after noon, when 
the snn exercises the greatest influence upon the glaciers in 
looseiiing masses of snow and ice, and causing tliem to break 



WITH NEW EYES. 813 

Fall of an Avalanche— Mountain Peaks— The Descent. 

off. Just after I had started on my way again, I was lavored 
with the sight of one. A distant roar, like thunder, first arrested 
my attention. I looked and saw a shower of snow pouring 
over a precipice on the side of the mountain, — then disappear- 
ing for a Httle w^hile, and then streaming out of a gully below 
over another precipice. This w^hite powder, which looks so 
insignificant in the distance, consists of huge blocks of ice and 
snow, capable of sweeping away whole forests and overwhelm- 
ing villages in its course. 

About two miles beyond the inn we attained the summit of 
the pass, which is 6,280 feet above the level of the sea. The 
view of the mountains was very fine. The Jung-frau on the 
extreme right, the Silherhorns somewhat nearer, then the Monch 
or Klein-Eigher {i. e. " Little Giant "), and the Great-Eigher, 
all over 13,000 feet high. The Eigher-horn especially appeared 
truly sublime. Its base was enveloped in clouds, out of which 
uprose its sharp peak, like the tenant of another sphere. As 
we approached Grindelwald, the Schreck-horn ( i. e. " Peak of 
Terror") came ia sight, and occasionally the needle-like peak 
of the Finsttr Aarhorn. The glaciers which cling around 
these peaks, and fill up the ravines between them, have been 
computed to occupy an area of one hundred and fifteen square 
miles. 

The descent was very steep and difiicult — at first muddy 
and slippery, and then strewn with fallen rocks. We passed 
in sight of a forest mown down by the fall of avalanches. It 
was a picture of complete desolation, the trunks broken off near 
the ground, stripped of their branches and bark even, black 
and seared as if a raging fire had swept over them. As we 
neared the valley, the Wetterhorn (or "Peak of Tempests") 
appeared in front, the Faulhorn on the left, and to the right 



ol4 OLD SIGHTS 



Grindelwald— Pass of the Gre at Scheideck— The Upper Glacier. 

the white glacier of Grindelwald. We reached Grindelwald at 
5 P.M., and put up at the small but comfortable Hotel de 
rOurse, i. e. '' the Bear.'' 

Grindelwald seemed to me the beau ideal of an Alpine val- 
ley, with its gigantic mountains, the Eigher-horn, the Mitten- 
berg, and the Wetterhorn, and its two magnificent glaciers 
issuing from between thesj mountains, and descending to the 
very bottom of the valley, within a stone's throw of human 
habitations, and skirted by forests of fir along their sides, and 
green pastures at their ba^e. 

The next morning I started at half past seven, on horseback, 
for Meyrlnjen, by the pass of the Great Scheideck. The path 
was very steep, and stony, and slippery, in consequence of re- 
cent rains. I wanted to dismount and walk down some of the 
worst places, but my guide kept saying, " nein ! nein !'"' 
(" Oh no I Oh no!') and would take hold of the bridle and 
lead the horse along ; till finally we came to a steep and rocky 
descent, when I had a strong presentiment the horse would, 
stumble and throw me over his head, and I insisted on getting 
ofi", and did, and walked on in advance some distance to the 
Upper Glacier, where I hngered some time, admiring the beau- 
tiful blue color of the ice. Large blocks, detached from the 
Glacier and fallen down into the stream which flows from it, 
still retained this deep azure here, thus showing that it was not 
occasioned simply by the reflection of the light, as might be 
thought, from its appearance in the crevices. 

As I turned aside into a foot-path which led nearer to the 
Glacier, an old man with a pipe in his mouth came out of a 
small hut near by, and followed at my heels, gesturing away 
and pointing out the chief objects of interest, to my great an- 
noyance and disgust. I supposed h§ was offering his services 



WITH NEW EYES. 315 

The Wetterhorn— "Alpine Roses." 

as a guide, and therefore shook my head repeatedly, and said, 
" Nein ! ncinr^ as significantly as I could. He paid no atten- 
tion to it, however, but still kept close to me, jabbering away 
with great volubility. About all the German I could muster 
from the evanescent associations of the " German optional," 
during junior year in college, was the unmistakeable direc- 
tion^ ^^ Geht zum Teufel P^ which I accordingly discharged at 
him with evident effect. It certainly was not a very civil salu- 
tation, but I had no other medium of expressing my decided 
wish that he should withdraw and leave me to my own medi- 
tations. He seemed very much enraged, and kept walking 
around the rock on which I stood, gesturing and jabbering 
away more fiercely than ever. Presently my guide came up 
and explained to the old man my ignorance of the vernacular, 
whereupon he accosted me in French, giving me to understand 
that this was a private path, which he had made through his 
own land for the accommodation of travellers, and that he 
wanted pay for my use of it. I gave him half-a-batz (about a 
cent and a half), which changed his tone completely, and 
brought down a shower of thanks and apologies. 

Mounted again, and rode on over a wild, desolate tract of 
meadow land, wet, muddy, and slippery, along the base of the 
gigantic Wetterhorn, which lifts its stupendous peak of naked 
rock to the height of more, than 13,000 feet, seeming to over- 
hang the path, and impressing the traveller with sublime awe. 
We reached the summit of the pass about 10 o'clock. I dis- 
mounted and commenced the descent on foot. We met a 
great many coming up ; one gentleman, an invalid, in a 
" chaise-a-porteur'''' (or sedan-chair) with four bearers, also a 
lady, carried in the same manner, and a long string of others 
on horse-back and a-foot. I picked some of the '■^AJpine rose,^^ 



816 OLD SIGHTS 



Baths of Rosenlaui— Shelter from the Storm. 



a species of red ibododendron, wliicli grows here in great pro- 
fusion, and put them in my passport book for preservation, as 
mementoes of the Alps. Soon it commenced raining. I was 
far ahead of my guide, and therefore stopped under a shed to 
wait his coming. After waiting a long time, I walked on 
again in the rain, now through a forest, where I heard a distant 
howling, and wondered whether there were any wolves in this 
region, saw some fine avalanches, loosened by the rain, down 
the Wetterhorn, was overtaken by my guide, and in the midst 
of a drenching rain arrived at the Biths of Rosenlaui, where 
there is a small inn. 

Here we stopped for shelter and refreshment. I amused 
myself for some time, watching the successive arrivals of par- 
ties overtaken by the storm, as they cime stringing in, dripping 
wet — ladies holding up their skirts, all be-draggled in the mud. 
" Oh ! what a sight I" till the little hotel was full to overflow- 
ing. All the resources of the establishment were put into re- 
quisition to supply the ladies with change of apparel, and great 
was the merriment occasioned by the oddity of their new cos- 
tumes. However, we were all " put to rights" after a while, 
and sat down to dinner, a motley company of old and young, 
German, English, and French, and one American. X French 
lady who sat next me was yqty sociable, and when she found 
out my country, inquired after a cousin who had married in 
Virginia, and another friend wlio resided in Xew York. A 
French gentleman in conversation spoke of the States of Phi- 
ladelphia and Boston. 

After dinner we waited and waited for the rain to cease. One 
party of English, half of them ladies, set off in the rain, on horses 
and mules, with India-rubber hoods, and cloaks, and umbrellas, a 
doleful procession. About 5 o'clock, it stopped raining, and I 



WITH NEW EYES. 817 

"Ropefall." 

resumed my journey, on horseback. For a short distance the 
path leads across a beautiful green plain, by the side of the 
torrent of Reichenbach, but soon the valley contracts into a 
ravine, and the path becomes so steep and rocky, one is obliged 
to dismount and proceed on foot. The view of the craggy 
peaks in the rear is very fine, and all along the ravine numer- 
ous streams of water from over its precipitous sides, one called 
the Seilbach, or " Ropefall," had also a fine view of the Falls 
of Reichenbach, and passed the Hotel called the Baths of 
Reichenbach, about a mile short of Meyringen. Instead of 
going around by the road with my guide and horse, I took a 
short cut path through the field, and crossing the Alpbach in a 
ferry-boat carried over by the force of the current, arrived at 
the Hotel de la Couroune about G o'olook. 



318 OLD SIGHTS 



The Vallej' of Meyringen— Pass of the Brunig. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

MEYRINGEX, PASS OF THE BRUNIG, LUCERNE TO BASLE. 

The valley of Meyringen is noted for its beauty. It is en- 
compassed by mountains with precipitous sides, partly clothed 
with forests, here and there streaked with white cascades, and 
overtopped by many snow-white peaks. It is not however so 
gi-and as Grindelwald. Much of it is a flat plain, half marsh 
and half gravel, from inundations of the river. The Alpbach, 
a mountain torrent pouring down from "the height behind the 
village out of a narrow gorge, when swollen by the rains, bears 
along heaps of black sand and rubbish, w'hich sometimes impede 
its course till the accumulated waters sweep everything before 
them, and spread desolation over the valley. An inundation 
of this sort in 1762 buried a large part of the village in one 
hour twenty feet deep in rubbish. The marks of this catas- 
trophe still appear on many of the buildings and fields. 

In the night I heard it raining hard still, and had dismal 
forebodings of the morrow. However, I rose early, and took 
my breakfast, thinking it might clear up. But no, it was rain, 
rain, rain, as hard as it could pour. About 10 o'clock it abated a 
little, and I set out for Lnngern, by the pass of the Brunig. 
The first part of the way I was able to ride on a trot, but soon 
the ascent became steeper and obliged us to slacken cur pace. 
The rain came doAvn in torrents ; I was obliged to carry an um- 



WITH NEW EYES. 819 

Lungern— Landenberg 

brella, which frightened rny horse and made him sheer in some 
very pokerish-looking places. The last part of the way was very 
steep and rocky. Still I was abundantly repaid by the sublime 
appearance of the clouds rolling around the mountains, and the 
occasional glimpses of the valley afforded us. On reaching the 
summit, I dismounted, and went down the other side on foot. The 
path was the most rocky and precipitous of any I had travelled. 
It seemed impossible that horses could travel it. At one place 
I took a short cut across a meadow, and then down steps cut 
in the rock, while the guide went around a different way with 
the horse. I reached Lungern about noon, drenched with 
rain, and much fatigued. Here I paid my guide his forty-two 
francs, and dismissed him to return. 

I sent my overcoat to the kitchen-fire to dry, took dinner, 
and ordered a carriage to Alpnach. It was a one-horsed 
vehicle, like a four-wheeled gig, with a leathern apron in front 
to protect from the weather, and a driver's seat outside of that. 
It was delightful to exchange the back of a horse for a com- 
fortable seat in a carriage, and I leaned back and smoked my 
pipe with a sense of perfect satisfaction. The steep ascent of 
the Kaiserstuhl brought us to the level of the Lake of Lungern. 
This lake was recently drained by boring a tunnel through the 
ridge of the Kaiserstuhl, and letting off its waters into the lower 
valley. The surface of the lake was lowered about one hundred 
and twenty feet, and its dimensions reduced about one half. 
The additional land thus gained has not however compensated 
for the expense of the operation, which was estimated at five 
thousand pounds, and nineteen thousand days' labor. 

The road then skirts the east shore of the Lake of Sarnen, 
and passes through the ^nllage of the same name, pleasantly 
situated at the foot of an eminence called Landenberg, memor- 



820 OLD SIGHTS 



Slide of Alpnach— Lake Alpnach— Boat-Women. 



able in Swiss history as tlie residence of the cruel Austrian 
bailiff of that name, who put out the eyes of the aged Henry 
An der Halden. AVe next came to Aljr'iach with its fine taper 
spire, a village of about fourteen hundred inhabitants, at the 
foot of Mount Pilatus. It was in this vicinity that the cele- 
brated Slide of Alpnach was constructed, for the purpose of 
brino-insf down to the lake the fine timber of the mountains, 
which could not be obtained by the ordii.ary means. The 
slide was a trough of wood extending from a height of twenty- 
five hundred feet down to the water's edge. A tree one 
hundred feet long, and four feet in diameter, was discharged in 
six minutes from the upper end of the trough into the lake, a 
distance of eight miles ! Sometimes a tree would bolt from 
the trough with such force as to cut large trees at the side 
short off, and dash itself to pieces. The timber was collected 
on the lake, formed into a raft, and floated down the Reuss into 
the Rhine. 

About a mile and a half further brought us to Gestad., on 
Lake Alpnach, which is a gulf of Lake Lucerne, where I ordered 
a boat to Winlcel^ on the opposite side. After waiting awhile 
somewhat impatiently, as it was after 5 o'clock, and I wished 
to reach Lucerne that evening, I noticed several women walk- 
ing down the street, carrying huge oars fifteen feet long on 
their shoulders, and supposed them to be the wives of the boat- 
men, making preparations for their husbands' departure. But 
when I came to the boat, I found it was manned by three 
women^ an old woman and two young ones. Yes ! I am almost 
ashamed to confess it, I was rowed across the lake to "Winkel, 
a distance of five miles, by three women I If there had been 
anything particularly feminine and interesting in their appear- 
ance, I should have felt constrained to assist them, but they 



WITH NEW EYES. 821 

Lucerne— Bridges adorned with Paintings— The English barrow. 

were so coarse and ugly, I thought them fit for nothing better. 
At Winkel I hired a carriage for Lucerne, where I arrived at 8 
o'clock in the evening, at the Schwytzer Hof, a large and 
splendid hotel, full of company. 

Lucerne is the chief town of the canton, and one of the 
alternate seats of the Diet. It is situated at the north-west 
extremity of the Lake of Lucerne, and is divided into two 
parts by the river Reuss, which here issues out of the lake. Its 
population is about eight thousand. 

I rose early next morning and walked out to visit the Hof- 
hrucJce — a covered bridge over an arm of the lake, more than 
one thousand feet long, which is adorned with paintings, occu- 
pying the triangular space between each cross-beam and the 
rafters of the roof. The paintings are illustrations of the Scrip- 
tures, some of them very well done, but much injured by the 
weather. The bridge commands a fine view of the lake, and 
the mountains Righi, Pilatus, Schwytz, and Engelberg, &c. 
Another of the bridges, called the Mill-bridge, is hung with 
paintings of the "Dance of Death." 

On going to the Poste to take a place for Basle, I found the 
diligence full. A swpplement was provided however for another 
person and myself — an open one-horse carriage, much pleas- 
anter than the coach. The streets through which we passed 
were decorated with triumphal arches of green and garlands of 
flowers, the relics of a recent musical fete. It was a beautiful 
morning, the late rains had laid the dust, the scenery was fine, 
and we had a delightful ride. 

At Buttisholz I saw the mound called the English harrow ^ 
because it contains the bones of three thousand Englishmen, 
followers of the celebrated Condottiero leader, Ingelzam de 
Coucy, who were defeated herQ in 1376, by the inhabitants of 



822 OLD SIGHTS 



Arnold of Winkelried— Sursee. 



Entlebuch. Had a fine view of the Lake of Sempach, on the 
east shore of which was fought the Battle of Sempach^ between 
the Austrians and the Swiss, the second of those great and 
sui-prising victories by which Swiss independence was establish- 
ed. Here Arnold of Winkelried signalized himself by his 
devotion to liberty. Seeing all the attempts of his countrymen 
to break the Austrian ranks foiled by their long lances, he 
exclaimed, " Protect my wife and children, and I will open a 
path to freedom." He then rushed forward, and gathering in 
his arms as many lances as he could grasp, buried them in his 
bosom ; and before the lancers could extricate their entangled 
weapons, his countrymen were enabled to take advantage of 
the gap thus made in the mail-clad ranks of the foe. 

" Make way for liberty ! lie cried, 

Then ran, with arms extended wide, 

As if his dearest friend to clasp ; 

Ten spears he swept within his grasp ! 
' Make way for liberty!' he cried, 

Their keen points met from side to side ; 

He bowed amongst them like a tree, 

And thus made way for liberty. 

Swift to the breach his comrades fly, 

' Make way for liberty !' they cry, 

And through the Austrian phalanx dart. 

As rushed the spears through Arnold's heart ; 

While, instantaneous as his fall. 

Rout, ruin, panic, scattered all. 

Thus Switzerland again was free ; 

Thus death made way for liberty !" 

At Sursee, an old walled town, whose gate-towers still bear 
the double-headed eagle of Austria covered in stone, we changed 



WITH NEW EYES. 323 

Aarburg— Frolicsome Girls. 

horses and carriage. On the way to Reiden, saw the ruins of 
the castle of Reiden, and a solitary tree on a rock beside it. 
Stopped at Zoffingen to dine. Changed carriage again. Rode 
through a pleasant valley, under good cultivation and dis- 
tinguished by substantial farm houses. Passed an extensive 
cotton factory, just before entering the old town of Aarhurg^ 
conspicuous by its extensive citadel upon the heights. 

Crossed the river Aar, and rode along its banks to Olten^ 
where we changed carriages again. Commenced the long 
winding pass of the JJyiter Hauenstein (^. e. "in hewn rock"). 
Fine view from the summit. Two young girls on the front 
seat facing me, in high glee, disposed to make sport of every- 
thing. A passenger in the driver's seat pressed so hard against 
the glass behind him as to push out a pane, which fell inside. 
One of the girls took out her scissors and cut a piece off from 
her bonnet-ribbon and pinned it on his coat-sleeve, and great 
was the meiTiraent that ensued. We changed again at Sissach, 
and again at Liesihal, for an omnibus, in which the man with 
the ribbon on his sleeve was informed of his plight by his next 
neighbor, and seemed very much hurt and offended. We 
entered the gates of Basle about half past 6 in the evening, 
and I put up at the Hotel aux Trois Rois (i. e. " the Three 
Kings"), a fine establishment, fronting on one of the principal 
streets, and in the rear overlooking the Rhine, which washes 
its walls. 



824 OLD SIGHTS 



Basle— New Acquaintance. 



CHAPTER XL. 

BASLE TO STRASBOURG. 

Basle, Bale, or Basel, the site of the ancient Basilea, built by 
the Roman Emperor Valentinian I., is the capital of the canton 
of the same name, and contains about fourteen thousand in- 
habitants. The Rhine, which rushes past in a full broad flood 
of a clear, light green, divides it into parts, Great Basle and 
Little Basle, connected by a wooden bridge. Of late years it 
has been declining in population and business, and an air of 
stilness and repose pervades its quaint old streets. 

While drinking my tea in the Dining Saloon of the " Three 
Kings," which looks out upon the Rhine, my attention was 
arrested by the familiar sound of my native tongue, character- 
ized by the peculiar intonations of Yankee-dom. I looked up, 
and in the serious sensible-looking gentleman who sat opposite, 
found a brother clergyman, with whom I formed a most agree- 
able acquaintance. It was delightful to meet some one with 
whom I could get back to old congenial topics of conversation, 
from which I had been so long debarred. He had not travel- 
led as far as I had, and moreover could not talk French, so 
that he was obliged to avail himself of my assistance, and being 
naturally of an humble and distrustful turn of mind, he readily 
deferred to my superiority as a " travelled man," and I really 
began to consider myself of some importance. After tea we 



WITH NE-W EYES. 825 

The Minster— Erasmus— The Terrace. 

took a stroll through the streets. A saddened feeling came 
over us as we noticed the American flag suspended from the 
window of the United States Consulate opposite, shrouded in 
crape, on account of the recent death of our President. I 
called at the Bureau and paid my passage through to Lon- 
don-, amounting to one hundred and seventeen and a half 
francs. (First class.) It seemed to bring me so much nearer 
home. 

The next morning was the sabbath — a beautiful day. B - 

and I walked to the Minster, a curious old building of deep red 
sandstone, with two square towers surmounted by spires two 
hundred and five feet high. It was begun by Henry 11. in 
1010, and consecrated in 1019. The front has two quaint old 
groups of St. Greorge and the Dragon on one side of the prin- 
cipal entrance, and St. Martin and the Beggar on the other. 
The cloisters are very extensive, and contain the monuments of 
the three Reformers, (Ecolampadius, Grynseus, and Meyer. In 
the church above is the tombstone of Erasmus, who died here 
in 1536. The church is now used for Protestant service, but 
there was no service this morning. 

Behind the Minster is a terrace, seventy-five feet above the 
river, planted with noble chestnut trees, and commanding a beau- 
tiful view over the Rhine, the town, and the country, bounded 
by the Black Forest hills. Near by is the Public Libroury, con- 
taining many interesting autographs of Luther, Melancthon, 
Erasmus, and Zwinglius, and a Gallery of the Paintings and 
Drawings of Holbein. A very polite citizen, of whom we had 
made some inquiries respecting the Minster, ofiered to show us 
some of the principal sights of the town, but we declined the 
offer, and sat down on one of the benches under the trees, and 
had a long talk about home matters, contrasting our situation 

15 



826 OLD SIGHTS 



Service at the Cathedral— Strasbourg— Monnment of Marshal Sase. 

■with tliat of our congregations, and wondering how vre should 
feel at resunaing onr ministerial labors. 

In the afternoon we attended service in the Minster. The 
congregation was small, and apparently not yerv attentive, but 
the preacher seemed mucb engaged in his work, and spoke 
with a great deal of animation. Two infants were baptized — 
" Louisa Carlina," and " Sarah Carlina.*' The clergyman took 
them in his arms and sprinkled each three times in connection 
■with the names of the persons of the Trinity. 

On calling at the Poste the next morning, I was greeted with 
■the sight of my old green umbrella, the faithful companion of 
all my travels, which I hardly expected ever to see again. I 
had missed it on arriving at Basle Saturday evening, and gave 
the conductor a charge to look for it on his return. He found 
it at Sissach, fourteen miles back, where I had left it, as we 
stopped to change carriages. 

At a quarter to 9 a.m., an omnibus took passengers from the 
hotel to the railway terminus, and at nine and a quarter we 
started for Strasbourg, passing through Mulhausen, Colmar, and 
jScklesiadt, and arriving at a little after 2 p.m. The distance 
is eighty-six miles. I went in an omnibus to the Hotel de la 
ViUe de Paris, and after dinner employed a commissionaire to 
show me the principal objects of interest, as I had but httle 
time for the purpose. He took me first to St. Thomas's church 
to see the Monument of Marshal Saxe, erected to his memory 
by Louis XV. — which employed the sculptor Pigalle twenty- 
five vears. It is of white marble, and the different fiomres are 
of foil size. The principal figure is the Marshal with his baton 
in his right hand, and his left a-kimbo, calmly descending to the 
tomb. On his right, cowering at his presence, are an eagle, the 
emblem of Austria, a leopard overturned, the emblem of Eng- 



WITH KEW EYES. 827 

Statue of Guttemberg. 

land, and a lion emblem of Holland, nations over whom he had 
been victorious. On his left, flags of different nations, trophies 
of war, a little genius mourning his fate, and France in the 
person of a beautiful female, with one hand endeavoring to 
detain the Marshal, and with the other to stay the approach of 
Death, a skeleton wrapped in a winding-sheet, opening the lid 
of a coflSn. Marshal Saxe was buried here rather than in Paris, 
because he was a Protestant. The sexton also showed us two 
embalmed bodies, discovered under the floor in 1802, supposed 
to be a Count of Nassau, Saarwerden and his daughter, and to 
have been buried more than four hundred years. They are in 
full dress — the daughter with finger-rings, necklace, and brace- 
lets, and ruffles, which comport strangely with the dark shrunken 
features, and the head sunk down between the shoulders. 

On our way saw the statues of Gen. Kleher, a native of Stras- 
bourg, one of Napoleon's generals, whom he left in command 
of the army in Egypt — and of Guttemhurg, the inventor of 
printing". The statue of Guttemburg is of bronze, and was 
modelled by the celebrated sculptor David. By his side is a 
printing-press, and in his hands a scroll, with the following in- 
scription, " Let there be hght ! " On one of the four sides of 
the pedestal appear in bas-relief the distinguished men of letters 
and science; on another, the advocates of freedom, among 
whom it is easy to recognize the marked features of our own 
Washington, Adams, and Franklin ; and on another, the form of 
Philanthropy, pitying and relieving the oppressed ; and on the 
fourth. Religion and all nations receiving the gospel at her 
hands. As I stood contemplating it early the following morn- 
ing, when it was surrounded by groups of market-women with 
their various wares, the momentous results of the invention 
here commemorated came thronging upon my mind; I lost 



828 OLD SIGHTS 



The Cathedral— The Clock. 



sight of everything around me, and seemed elevated to a height 
from -which I could take in at one view the whole domain of Art, 
Science, Literature, and Human Improvement — and lo ! e very- 
dome, and pinnacle, and house-top, was irradiated by the light 
which streamed from this central point. It was as if the Crea- 
tor had laid his hand upon that majestic brow and uttered his 
almighty fiat, "Let there be light!" — and a new sun arose 
upon the benighted world ! We next visited 

THE CATHEDRAL. 

This is one of the finest Gothic edifices in the world. Its 
dimensions are three hundred and fifty-five feet in length, one 
hundred and thirty-two in breadth, and the height of the spire 
variously estimated at from four hundred and seventy-four to 
five hundred and thirty feet. It is of solid stone from the found- 
ation to the apex, and most elaborately carved. The whole 
front is carried up to the height of two hundred and thirty feet, 
and from the top of this platform rises the spire nearly three 
hundred feet higher ! The oldest part of the building is at- 
tributed to the time of Charlemagne, but the principal part was 
designed and begun by the architect Erwin of Steinbach, who 
died in 1318. The most remarkable things in the interior are 
the vast and beautiful marigold window over the principal en- 
trance, the rich painted glass of the fourteenth and fifteenth 
centuries, the carved stone pulpit (of 148*7), and the famous 
clock, made in 15*71, which stands in the south transept. It is 
as high as an ordinary dwelling-house, and has a light staircase 
leading to the top. The various dials show the year, the 
month, the day, the places of the sun and moon, and many 
other astronomical phenomena. The quarter-hour is struck by 
the figure of a boy, the half-hour by a youth, the three-quarters 



WITH NEW EYES. 829 

The Rgprechtsau — Balloon— Ascent of the Spire. 

by an old man, and the full hour by old father Time himself. 
When the clock is about to strike twelve, a large gilt cock on 
a pinnacle claps his "wings, opens his mouth, and crows lustily 
three times, a procession of the Twelve Apostles issues from one 
door, passes before the Saviour, each one bowing as he passes, 
and retires by another door. For fifty years it was out of order 
and stood still, but it has at length been repaired by a watch- 
maker of Strasbourg, and set in motion. 

Towards evening I walked out to the principal promenade 
called the Ruprechtsau, an extensive space beyond the walls, 
laid out in walks and gardens. In passing through the fortifi- 
cations, three draw-bridges are crossed. Indeed Strasbourg is 
considered one of the strongest fortresses in Europe. The 
grounds were full of people, who had come to witness a balloon 
ascension. By paying a small fee I obtained admission to the 
Jardin Lip, within which the inflation of the balloon was con- 
ducted, but I was disappointed to find that it was to be raised 
simply by heated air. The balloon was large and decorated in 
the gayest style, but the process of inflation occupied a long 
time. At length everything seemed ready, the aeronaut in 
fancy costume went around among the spectators with a con- 
tribution plate, took an afiectionate farewell of his friends, 
seated himself in the wicker-basket attached to the balloon, 
heroically resigned to his fate. But the balloon would not go 
up. It swung this side and that, and came very near catching 
fire several times, so that the whole afiair was a miserable 
failure. 

The next morning, while taking a walk before breakfast, I 
resolved to ascend the spire of the Cathedral. A commissioner 
whom I consulted, directed me to the Police oflicer whose 
special duty it is to accompany such persons as wish to make 



830 OLD SIGHTS 



Highest in the World. 



the ascent. This regulation has been prescribed in consequence 
of several instances of suicide or accidental death, by falling 
from the steeple. We entered the south door in the unfinished 
tower and toiled up the dark and wearisome staircase which 
leads to the Platform two hundred and thirty feet high. Here 
is a telegraph office and a station for watchmen, who are set 
to look out for fires, including several rooms with domestic 
conveniences. Then we ascended two hundred and thirteen 
feet higher to an iron grating trap- door, which my guide un- 
locked, and we commenced the more dangerous part of the 
ascent. The staircases are winding with such narrow steps that 
but part of the foot can rest on them, and one is obliged to go 
sideways. There is no railing to hold on by, and the spire is 
so open, that should the foot slip, the body might fall through the 
fret-work at the side. Up, up, up, the steps growing narrower 
and narrower, till at length you are obliged to step upon a small 
square stone clear on the outside of the spire without any pro- 
tection, then stoop under an iron bar, up another set of steps 
like the side of a pyramid, terminating in a flat stone a foot 
square, upon which you sit down right under the carved rosette 
which forms the apex of the spire, and shudder at your temerity, 
as you look down and think of the descent. You have as- 
cended six hundred and sixty steps, and may enjoy the satis- 
faction of thinking that you are at the top of the highest spire 
in the world. But as you look again, it seems as if a gust of 
wind might destroy the equilibrium of the steeple, so slender 
and delicate is its structure, and your brain reels at the idea 
of such a catastrophe ! 



WITH NEW EYES. 331 

The Rhine— Clerical acouaintance. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

STRASBOURG, THE EKIXE, COLOGNE BY OSTEXD TO LONDON. 

An omnibus took us to the steamer on the 111, a tributary of 
the Rhine, from which we soon emerged into the broader 
stream. The «ceneiy from Strasbourg to Mayenee is not par- 
ticularly interesting. The river .flows through a wide plain, 
bounded by distant mountains. It was a pleasant morning, 
however, and I enjoyed the saiL I made several agreeable ac- 
quaintances on board. One of them was an Englishman, who 
came to me as I was sitting in the cabin, with a bottle of wine 
which he had ordered, and after asking me to partake of it, 
said he would be under great obligations to me if I would ask 
the waiter for him how mueh his dinner was. He said he 
could not speak anything but English, and was troubled to get 
along. Till within a few days he had been travelling with a 
company of friends, but now he was all alone, and finding that 
I was on my return to England, proposed that we should travel 
in company, saying that he would go whatever route I prefer- 
red, and accommodate himself entirely to my convenience. He 
seemed greatly relieved by my assent to his proposal, and after 
we had gone on deck and seated ourselves on some boxes to 
^dew the scenery, expressed his satisfaction by rubbing his 
hands together, and uttering a shrill "Cock-a-doodle-doo !" I 
was not a little amused at this singular mode of expression, espe- 



Sa2 OLD SIGHTS 



Mayenee — " Glories of the Ehine^' 



cially on learning afterwards, to my surprise, that he was a 
clergyman of the Church of England. He preyed to be a very 
pleasant companion, though ivithout any marked interest iu 
theological matters, and in all matters of business he was as help- 
less as a child. Indeed, I thought at the time that one of our 
Yankee boys ten years old would be much more competent to 
take care of himself. From this time forth I took charge of 
him, settled all his accounts with hotel-keepers, porters, rail- 
roads, &c., and delivered him in safety at Dover. 

TVe arrived at Mayenee at nine o'clock in the evening, and 
went to the Bheinischer JSof, a fine establishment. Mayenee 
is a fortress of the Confederation, strongly garrisoned by the 
Austrians and Prussians. The population is about thirty-six 
thousand ; the garrison eight thousand. Here is another 
statue of Guitemherg^ the inventor of printing, in bronze, model- 
led by TJiorwcddse}!, and cast at Paris. Mayenee was his birth- 
place and principal residence. 

At half past 7, the next morning, we started again in the 
steamer "i2w6e?w," and had fine weather as far as Coblentz, en- 
joying the "glories ol the Ehine" very much — the terraced 
hill-sides covered with vineyards, the frowning crags, the ro- 
mantic old castles, the tortuous river, the rocky islands, the 
massive fortifications of JEhrenhreitstein, soon after passing 
which it began to rain and blow with great violence, so that we 
were driven below for shelter. TTe arrived at Cologne about 
4 P.M., and went to the Hotel Rheijiberg, close by the river. 
The rain came down in torrents, and I sat a long time at the 
window of my room, amusing myself with watching the string 
of foot-passengers crossing the bridge of boats, which was 
occasionally interrupted by the passage of a steamer or boat. 

At length we sallied out in spite of the rain, and went to 



WITH NEW EYES. 833 

Cathedral of Cologne— Shrine of the Three Kings. < 

see the Cathedral, a magaificent structure, begun in 1248, 
but not yet completed. The main body of the building is not 
finished, and of the two towers, the highest is not above one 
third of the full height. The dimensions are: length, five 
hundred and thirty-eight feet; breadth, two hundred and 
thirty-one feet ; and the intended height of the towers, five 
hundred and thirty feet. If completed according to the ori- 
ginal design, it would be by far the noblest specimen of Gothic 
architecture in the world. But though untold sums have been 
lavished upon it, it would require an additional expenditure of 
five millions of dollars. An Association has been formed, with 
branches in all parts of Europe, for collecting subscriptions for 
this purpose. You will often see some of the contribution 
boxes put up in the hotels, soliciting the contributions of 
visitors. 

The choir is the only part finished, and with its clustered 
pillars, its multitudinous arches, its numerous chapels, its fine 
stained-glass windows, its colossal statues, and finely carved 
stalls and seats, is splendid beyond description. Behind the 
High Altar is the Shrine of the Three Kings of Cologne, or 
the Magi, who came from the East with presents for the infant 
Saviour. A curiously wrought silver gilt case contains what 
are supposed to be their bones, said to have been brought from 
Milan by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, in 1162, and pre- 
sented to the Archbishop of Cologne. Their skulls, inscribed 
with their names — Gasper, Melchior, and Balthazer — written 
in rubies, are exhibited to view through an opening in the 
shrine, crowded with diadems and studded with jewels. Under 
a slab in the pavement is buried the heart of Maria de Medici s, 
the exiled Queen of Henri IV. of France, who died in poverty 
at Cologne, in 1642. 

15* 



834 OLD SIGHTS 



St. Ursula and the eleven thousand Virgins— Relics— Rail to Ostend. 

We also visited the Church of St. Ursula and of the eleven 
thousand Virgins. The story is, that St. Ursula and her vir- 
gin train, on their return from Rome to Brittany, were all 
slaughtered at Cologne by the barbarian Huns, because 
they refused to break their vows of chastity. Their bones are 
supposed to be deposited here. Bones and skulls meet your 
eyes wherever you look. They are built into the walls, buried 
under the pavement, and arrayed in glass cases on all sides. 
In one apartment, called the Golden Chamber^ you are shown 
the skulls of a select few, cased in silver, with busts fitted to 
them, and wrapped in silk. Your attention is particularly di- 
rected to the marks of the cruel swords in the skulls. You 
are also shown one of the stone vessels which held the water 
that was turned into wine at the marriage in Cana, a thigh 
bone of the apostle Peter, and several other interesting rehcs ! 

To- complete our tour of Cologne, we next sought out the 
establishment of the veritable Jean Marie Farino, opposite the 
Julichs Platz, to purchase some of the genuine article. 

The next morning was pleasant. We took our seat in the 
railway carriage at 7 o'clock, and commenced our ride to 
Ostend. My companion was so elated with the idea of being 
in England the next day, that he uncorked a bottle of Cologne, 
and sprinkled our railway apartment with its contents. The 
other occupants were a lady, and a Cologne and London wine- 
merchant. As we passed through the walls I was struck with 
the massive fortifications, with their picturesque flanking-towers 
and gate-houses, said to present one of the most perfect speci- 
mens of the style of the middle ages. 

At Verviers, the Prussian frontier, our luofo-ao-e was searched. 

' ' CO o 

Here Ave changed carriages, and my friend and myself were 
the sole occupants of a luxurious apartment, with large glass 



WITH NEW EYES. SS5 

Boat to the Steamer. 

windows in front and at the sides, so that we could have a fine 
view of the country through which we passed. Our route 
was through Aix-la-Cha2jelU\ Louvain, Ghent, Bruges, ar- 
riving at Ostend at T o'clock in the evening. Here all the 
passengers for England, with their luggage and the English 
mails, wer« put on board a stout boat, perhaps thirty feet 
long, ail open to the weather, and manned by four boat- 
men, to be conveyed to the steamer which lav somewhere in 
the offing, though not within sight. It was low tide, we had 
to go down a dozen steps from the pi=er to get aboard ; the 
boat was so full that there was not room for all to sit down — 
about fifty passengers — English, German, Frenchmen, and dogs. 
It was fast growing dark, and soon began to rain. The tide 
was running in very strong through the narrow passage be- 
tween the two long piers, but there was not yet water enough 
to cross the bar at the mouth of the harbor. So we waited and 
waited, the scowl of the heavens gathering blacker and blackei, 
the wind rising higher and higher, and the breakers outside 
looking " scary" enough. "\^^e finally became so impatient of 
delay, that the men hoisted a large sail and put out I The sea 
g-rew worse and worse till we drove bump on the bar, with a 
shock that knocked down every one that was standing, and 
drenched us with the salt spray. The tide took us back, and 
the wind drove us on again bump I bump I bump ! the sea 
dashing over us every time, till the boat was full of water. 
We all expected to see the water coming in through the 
bottom every moment, and the boatmen were so frightened 
they were at their wits' end. Seven or eight times at least we 
struck with great violence, but finally cleared the bar. The 
danger was not all over yet, however. For when we came 
alono-side of the steamer, the sea was so high we were obliged 



BB^ OLD SIGHTS 



Return to London. 



to use great caution in approaching her. One moment the 
boat would be down by the keel of the steamer, and the next 
almost on her deck. However, we were all safely taken on board 
and stowed away, and a most tempestuous night it was. I 
lay down in my berth and did not quit it ; and to my great 
satisfaction was not sick at all, while all around me were 
" making night hideous " by their retchings. We reached 
Dover about 5 o'clock the next morning (the usual passage is 
four and a half hours), when I took the 8 o'clock express train 
for London, and about 11 arrived at my old boarding-house in 
KiDg street, heartily rejoiced to be back in " Old England " 
again. It seemed almost like getting home. 



WITH NEW EYES. 887 

Windsor — St. George's Chapel. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

WINDSOR, CAMBRIDGE, AND OXFORD. 

While spending a few days in London, after my return from 
"the Continent," I made several excursions to places in the 
vicinity, which I had not visited before. One of these was to 
Windsor. The distance by the South- Western Railway is 
twenty-six miles. "An excursion ticket" to go and return in 
the second class carriages was 4s. 6d. From Waterloo station 
we passed through Vauxhall, Putney, Richmond, Twickenham, 
Feltham, Staines, to Windsor. 

A steep flight of steps cut in the rock leads up to the Castle, 
which, with its numerous buildings and squares, is a town in 
itself. I first visited St. George's Chapel, a fine Gothic edifice, 
built by Edward III., and much enlarged and embellished by 
succeeding monarchs. The Cenotaph of the Princess Charlotte 
is an affecting monument. It is divided into two compartments ; 
in the lower one, the body is represented lying on a bier imme- 
diately after the departure of the immortal spirit ; it is covered 
with drapery, beneath which the outline of the figure is wonder- 
fully apparent, and part of the right hand projects from under 
the veil with startling effect. At each corner is a female figure 
weeping. The figures are exquisitely sculptured of the purest 
marble, and the eff'ect upon my own mind was singularly 
impressive. 



838 OLD SIGHTS 



The Round Tower— Queen's Stables. 



The choir contains the stalls of the Knights of the Garter. 
Over each stall, under a canopy of carved work, are the sword, 
mantle, helmet, and crest of each knight ; above these is the 
banner on which are his armorial bearings, and at the back of 
the seat an engraved brass plate records his name, style, and 
titles. Among the names are the Emperor of Russia and the 
King of Prussia. The Chapel also contains many royal monu- 
ments. The great painted window over the Altar is a fine 
work of art. It was designed by Benjamin West, and repre- 
sents the Resurrection of our Saviour. 

I next visited the Keep or Round Tower, which stands on 
the summit of an artificial mount, and was anciently surrounded 
by a ditch, which is now filled up in part, and the rest con- 
verted into a shrubbery and garden. The view from the top 
of the battlements is one of great extent and beauty, comprising 
parts of twelve counties. The Tower is three hundred and two 
and a half feet in circumference, and from the level of the Little 
Park to the top of the flagstaff is an elevation of two hundred 
and ninety-five and a half feet. 

The principal apartments of the Palace were closed against 
visitors on account of the extensive repairs and alterations in 
progress, but we were promised admission to the Queen's 
Stables at one o'clock p.m. — an arrangement with which I 
was perfectly satisfied, as I had no doubt it would prove the 
more interesting exhibition of the two, especially to one who 
was sated with palaces. 

So after w^aiting an hour or two, the gate was opened by one 
of the grooms, and w^e made the tour of the stables under his 
guidance. The establishment was characterized by great order 
and neatness. All the floors were scrubbed to (he last degree 
of cleanliness. You might have rubbed a white cambric hand- 



WITH NEW EYES. 839 

Carriages— Virginia Water. 

kerchief over them without soiling it. We saw the " Ponies' 
harness," the " Pony carriages," the Prince of Wales' " goat 
carriage," Prince Albert's and the Queen's Pony carriages, and 
then the Ponies themselves — one cross little specimen from 
Java, only twenty seven inches high — several beautiful Arabian 
mares, each with her name over her stall, such as "Zec?a," &c., 
and many fine horses : different sets of harnesses, some splendidly 
ornamented ; and carriages without number, of all descriptions 
— one, a present from Louis Philippe, two droskies from the 
Emperor of Russia, such as he uses, and a sledge ; night car- 
riages with conveniences for sleeping, carriages for servants, and 
carriages for riding incog. The wheels of some of the carria- 
ges had very large tires for riding on the turf, and others were 
covered with an elastic substance to deaden the noise, and 
called " noiseless wheels." 

Another visitor and myself hired an open carriage to take us 
to " Virginia Water, ''^ a beautiful ride through the Great Park. 
One avenue through which we rode, called the " Long Walk," 
is three and a half miles long, lined with magnificent elm trees 
the whole distance. At its upper extremity, on an elevation 
called Snowhill, is a bronze equestrian statue of George IIL, by 
Westmacott. The views of the lake from different points are 
very beautiful. An elegant little fishing temple hangs over the 
water, where we were told the Queen sometimes went a-fishing. ^ 
On the lake is a beautiful miniature frigate, full rigged, with 
batteries and everything complete. On great occasions it is ^ 
manned, by a crew of boys, who go through a variety of naval 
evolutions for the entertainment of her Majesty. We got out ^ 
and walked across the meadows, along the shore of the lake, 
while the carriage went around by the road. At the mouth of 
the lake there is a small cascade, such as one may see in almost. 



340 OLD SIGHTS 



" Hearne's Oak."— Runnymead— Cambridge— King's College. 

every brook in New England, but in the eyes of my cockney 
friend it appeared an exceeding great "water-fall." It was 
amusing to see the awe-struck wonder with which he contem- 
plated it, as if it were a second " Niagara." 

We stopped at a little inn called the " Wheat Sheaf," for 
dinner, and then rode back by a different way, passed the 
Banger's house, the Duchess of Kent's, saw the Prince's Aviary, 
where the Queen sometimes comes and feeds the birds, paid a 
visit to " Hearne's Oak," the scene of Fallstaff's punishment by 
the fairies, saw the plain of Runnymead, famous for the meet- 
ing of the Barons and King John, the 15th June, 1215, and 
near by the island in the river called Magna Charta Island, 
where the great Charter was signed — taking the rail again at 
Windsor and arriving in London at six o'clock in the evening. 

CAMBRIDGE. 

Another excursion was to Cambridge, fifty-seven and a half 
miles distant, by the Eastern Counties Railway. Leaving 
Shoreditch station at two twenty-five p.m., and passing through 
Tottenham, AValtham, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop Stortford, 
and Chesterford, we arrived at Cambridge at 5 25, where a 
long string of gay looking omnibuses were in waiting to con- 
vey passengers to the different hotels. 

After tea I made the tour of the colleges ; went first to King's 
College, visited the Dining Hall, the Chapel, a magnificent pile 
of Gothic architecture, with twenty-five beautiful stained glass 
windows. The ceiling is of solid stone. I went up into the 
garret overhead to see the ingenious construction of the roof. 
Admired the beautiful grounds in the rear of Clare Hall — ^the 
pleasant walks along the river Cam. Coming to the stone 
bridge my guide interrogated me respecting the number of 



WITH NEW EYES. 841 
Newton's Rooms— The Colleges— The Uniyersity. 

stone balls on the parapet at the sides, assuring me that he had 
never been able to find a visitor who gave a correct answer. I 
counted seven on each side, making fourteen in all. "Where- 
upon with great exultation he took me across the bridge and 
showed me one of the balls from which a quarter had been cut 
out, thus making the number, as he triumphantly asserted, not 
fourteen, as might appear on a superficial observation, but thir- 
teen and three quarters ! He said that the piece was cut out 
by one of the students to win a bet. Visited Trinity College, 
saw Newton's rooms and Observatory, St. John's College, the 
" Old" and the " New ;" Trinity church, where Charles Simeon 
preached; All Saints' church, which has a monument by 
Chantrey to Henry Kirke "White ; St. Catherine's Hall, Pem- 
broke College, &c., &c. ; the Senate House, the Pitt Press, the 
Observatory. The buildings are all of stone, of various ages 
and styles of architecture, generally arranged in quadrangles, 
on three sides of an open court, the fourth side closed by a wall 
with gates for entrance, and pleasant walks and grounds in the 
rear and at the sides. Each College is a distinct Corporation, 
holding its buildings and libraries, and possessing large funds 
in money, land, houses, and advowsons, i. e. the right of pre- 
sentation to vacant benefices. Each College has its own con- 
stitution and regulations, its scholars, fellows, and masters. 
The University is a corporation .by itself, holding the Public 
Library, the Senate-house (when their public convocations are 
held and degrees conferred), the printing press, the Observatory, 
and some other establishments, and also having power to make 
rules for the government of the whole body, and to choose the 
several professors. 

The University has the privilege of sending two representa- 
tives to Parliament. The right of election is vested in the 



842 OLD SIGHTS 



Oxford— Bodleian Library. 



members of the Senate. All masters of arts or doctors in one 

of the three faculties, viz. divinity, the civil law, or physic, 
having their names upon the college boards, holding any Uni- 
versity office, or being resident in the town of Cambridge, have 

votes in this assembly. 

^» 
oxroRD. 

The next morning I left Cambridge, returned to London, 
hurried across the city, and reached Paddington station just in 
time to take the 12.30 train of the Great Western Railway; 
passed through Slough, Reading, Pangbourne, turning off on 
a branch road at Didcot, and arrivinor at Oxford about 3 p.m. 
a distance of sixty-three miles. 

I went to the " Angel Hotel." The room assigned to me 
bore this magniloquent inscription, engraved upon a brass plate 
on the door : " This room was occupied by Rev. Mr. Wood, 
Preceptor to his Royal Highness, the Prince of Cambridge, on 
the 19th, 20th, and 21st July, 1835." 

My first visit was to the Bodleiax Library, which has 
2Y0,000 volumes. A copy of every book published in the 
Kingdom must be deposited here. The gi-eat number of old 
manuscripts attracted my attention ; several Hebrew ones, with 
notes written in the form of animals. Queen Elizabeth's Latin 
Exercises, and many other interesting memorials. The Library 
is adorned with many fine portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Sir 
Peter Lely, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, as Addison, Swift, South, 
Butler, Prior, Shirley, Locke, Duns Scotus, the Duke of Well- 
ington, and innumerable others. Among the curiosities were 
the model of a subterranean Temple in India, ninety feet under 
ground, made of teak-wood by natives, and a most beautiful 
alabaster model of the Cathedral in Calcutta. 



WITH NEW EYES. 843 

"Addison's Walk"— The " Martyr's Memorial "—Christ Church Meadows. 

After dinner visited University College, Queen's, Magda- 
lene — famous for its square tower of fine proportions, and its 
chapel with its elaborate carved stone-work and stone organ- 
case, and its painting of " Christ bearing the Cross," attributed 
to Guido, and another of the "Last Judgment" — took ^^Addi- 
son^s walk,''^ about three quarters of a mile long, saw a herd 
of about sixty deer, scattered over the lawn ; visited New Col- 
lege, admired the stained glass in the Chapel, brought frOm 
Flanders four hundred years ago, and the great window painted 
after a design by Reynolds, with the Nativity at the top, and 
allegorical representations of the Christian virtues at the sides ; 
saw the superb Bishop's Crosier of the founder, William de 
Wykeham, of silver, gilt, six feet long, and weighing seventeen 
pounds; visited the Theatre, the place of public convocations, 
sat in the Chancellor's seat, where all the Kings since Charles 
I. have sat ; the Chapel near by, where Charles I. held his Par- 
liament of Peers, and where Cromwell's troopers afterwards 
quartered their horses ; visited All Souls, Brazen Nose, Exeter 
Lincoln Colleges, Radcliffe Library ; saw the " Martyr's Memo- 
rial," an elaborate Gothic cross of stone, of a triangular form, 
with niches containing statues of Cranmer on one side, Latimer 
on another, and Ridley on the third ; saw the place marked by 
a stone in front of Baliol Colleges where the martyrs were 
burned at the stake, and the prison near by from which Cran- 
mer was compelled to witness the sufferings of some of his 
fellow martyrs, which his persecutors hoped might induce him 
to recant. 

After breakfast the next morning, I took a walk through 
Christ Church meadows, a fine broad gravelled walk, bordered 
by magnificent elms, along the banks of the Isis and Cherwell ; 
visited Christ Church Colleges, Oriel, Corpus Christi, Merton, 



844 OLDSIGHTS 



Christ Church Meadows. 



and Pembroke. Oxford has twenty Colleges, and five Halls. 
The difference between a College and a Hall is only nominal at 
present. The Colleges grew out of schools, some of which were 
claustral, i. e. appendages of convents or other religious bodies, 
and others were of a more secular character. Where many of 
these secular scholars resided in one house, it was called a 
Hall or Hostel^ i. e. Inn, and the name was afterwards retained 
though the institution was not materially difierent from a 
College. 



WITH NEW EYES. 845 

Blenheim— Stratford-on-ATon. 



C'SAPTER XLIII. 

OXFORD TO BIRMINGHAM, THE "LAKE COUNTRY/' STIRLING. 

At Oxford I took a place in the outside of the coach for Bir- 
mingham, sixty-two and a half miles distant. We had a fine 
coach, four noble horses, a very obliging and communicative 
coachman, and no rain, so that I enjoyed the ride exceedingly. 
A few miles out we passed on the left Blenheim, the magnifi- 
cent seat erected by vote of Parliament in the reign of Queen 
Anne, for the celebrated Duke of Marlborough. The park 
contains 2,^00 acres. We rode through a rich and beautiful 
country, under high cultivation, the ripe grain evidently suffer- 
ing for want of reapers, which it was very difficult to obtain. 
One of the company with whom I had some conversation was 
surprised to learn from me that the Americans talked English. 
He supposed we used the Spanish language, and were obliged 
to study EngHsh just as they did French, in order to speak it. 
He asked me if I should not infinitely prefer England to the 
United States as a place of residence, and seemed very much 
astonished at my reply. 

We passed through Stratford^on-Avon, where it was market- 
day, and the streets were filled with cattle and stupid looking 
rustics. A staring sign upon a very old and mean looking 
house in the main street bore the inscription : " This is the 
house in which the immortal Shakspeare was borny Both he 



846 OLD SIGHTS 



Birmingham—" The Lake district"— KesTrick. 



and his wife were buried in the parish church, where there is a. 

monumeBt to his memory. 

BIRMINGHAM. 

"We arrived at Birmingham about '7 p.m., where I found 
excellent accommodations at the " Hen a?id* Chickens Family 
Hotel." The next day I spent the morning in exploring the 
city, visited a Papier Mache Manufactory, and saw the whole 
process from the plain slabs of pressed paper down to the most 
splendid centre-tables, five hundred and one thousand dollars 
a-piece; went over an electro-plating establishment, and saw 
some beautiful specimens of the art, visited the great Town 
Hall, capable of seating four thousand, at 12 45 took the train for 
Wolverhampton. Passed through a wild and desolate region 
of coal heaps, and factories, and tall chimneys. At Wolver- 
hampton I took the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway to Ches- 
ter, and thence by the Chester and Birkenhead Railway to 
Birkenhead, and across the Ferry to Liverpool, where I was 
glad to regain my old quarters in Duke street. 

After spending a few days at Liverpool, I set out on an 
excursion into the north of England, the " Lake district," as it 
is called, passing through Wigan, Preston, KendaT, Winder- 
mere, thence, by the steam-yacht '•'■Lady of the Lahe^'' to 
Ambleside, and thence by coach to Keswick. This last ride 
was delightful. I had a seat alongside of the coachman, who 
was very ready to answer all inquiries, and pointed out the 
various objects of interest by the way. Saw Ulm Crag, Rydal 
Mount, where Wordsworth lived. Lake Helvellyn, Lake Kes- 
wick, and as we descended toward Keswick, Mount Skiddaw. 

After what an Englishman would call a nice tea at the snug 
little inn of the " King's Arms," I walked out to the old church 



WITH NEW EYES. 347 

Southey's Monument— Vale of St, John— "Aircy Force." 

to see Southey's monument. It represents the poet the size of 
hfe, in a dressing gown, lying on a couch with one hand on his 
heart. The features are said to be a good hkeness, copied from 
a cast of his face, but the general air of the representation is 
affected and constrained. My guide said he knew Southey 
very well ; he was reserved in his manners, but very kind, not 
so stout a man as Wordsworth. The church is six hundred 
years old, and has some curious old monuments — one of the 
Earl of Derwentwater, and AHce his wife, 1527, a large slab 
supported by marble statues underneath, and on the top a brass 
plate engraved with a full length figure of the deceased as 
large as life. In the adjoining yard saw where lie the bodies 
of Southey and of " Edith," his wife. Walked alongside of the 
river Greta, and passed " Greta Hall," Southey's late residence. 
Went to see the " new church" at the other end of the village. 
It is of stone, in the Gothic style, and taking into the account 
the situation and prospect of the lake and mountains, appeared 
to me the most beautiful country church I had ever seen. 

The next morning I took a seat on the outside of the " Jenny 
Lind Coach" for Penreith. We started at half past eight in 
a pouring rain, which however did not continue long. The ride 
through the vale of St. John was very fine — affording succes- 
sive views of great beauty and sublimity. The mountains are 
bare of all trees, except where plantations have been made. 
Rode for a long distance over a barren common, a most deso- 
late tract, through Troutbeck. Got out at a steep hill and 
turned off to the right to see ^' Aircy Force,^^ a fine water-fall 
of about eighty feet. Had a beautiful ride along by Ullswater 
lake, passed through Watermillock, Pooley's Bridge, and reach- 
ed Penreith at half past 12 o'clock. 

At Penreith I took the rail to Carlisle, and thence to Glas- 



848 OLD SIGHTS 



Glasgow— steamboat in the Clyde. 



gow, througli Gretna^ Lockerbie, Beattock, Abington, Lanark, 
Carluke, Motberwell, arriving a little after eigbt in tbe evening. 
For tbe last twenty miles, tbe air was full of smoke from tbe 
numerous furnaces, and as it grew dark tbe fires blazing out 
from tbe tops of tbe cbimneys cast a lurid ligbt over tbe wbole 
region. Tbe botels were all full, and I found some difficulty 
in obtaining quarters, but finally succeeded at tbe Queen's 
Hot^l, opposite St. George's Square. Tbe weatber bad grown 
cold very fast, and being witbout an overcoat, I was very 
uncomfortable, but a good fire blazing in tbe grate and a cup 
of tea wrougbt a great cbange in my feelings, so that I accept- 
ed an invitation on tbe part of a gentleman in tbe room and 
walked out witb bim to take a look at tbe city. 

It was brigbt moonligbt, and tbe buildings appeared to fine 
advantage* Some of tbe public buildings are noble edifices — 
such as tbe Exchange, in front of wbicb is a colossal statue of 
tbe Duke of WelHngton, tbe Xational Bank, Clydesdale Bank, 
British Linen Co.'s Bank, &c. TVe walked through Queen 
street, Argyle street, Buchanan street, alongside of tbe Clyde, 
saw the light of the distant furnaces over the tops of the build- 
ings opposite, like a great fire, crossed the great common, and 
went through the Salt Market. 

It rained bard in the night and the next morning, so that I 
thought I should be obbged to give up my trips to the Lochs ; 
but tbe sky lighting up somewhat after breakfast, I took my 
carpet-bag in band and walked down to tbe steam-boat on the 
Clyde. Tbe plank was laid from the dock to tbe top of the 
wheel-house, from which steps led down to tbe deck. Tbe pas- 
sengers came flocking aboard in great numbers. Just after we 
had cast ofi", an elderly gentleman witb his family arrived at 
the dock, and beseechingly entreated the captain to stop and 



WITH NEW EYES. 349 

Loch Lomond — " Macgregor country." 

take him aboard, exclaiming in a most pathetic tone, " My lug- 
gage is all aboard ! " but it was of no avail ; he was " too lateP 

The Clyde was originally a small stream. Twenty years ago 
vessels of fifty tons only could come up, now it is navigable for 
vessels of the largest size. This improvement has been effected 
by dredging machines, at an enormous expense, which has been 
borne entirely by the citizens of Glasgow. We passed many 
large steamers and other vessels. Passed Yoker Lodge, further 
down. IN'ear Bowling Inn, saw the mouth of the Great Junc- 
tion Canal which unites the east and west coasts of Scotland 
by means of the Firths of Forth and Clyde. At Bowling took 
the new railway to Ballock, had a fine view of Dumbarton 
Rock and Castle by the way. At Ballock took the little 
steamer Prince AlheiH on Loch Lomond. The scenery on the 
Lake was beautiful and grand. Ben Lomond with his head 
capped with snow made a fine appearance. But the rain com- 
mencino* asfain, drove us all down into the cabin. 

Landed at Inversnaid, and aftfer toiling up a steep hill reached 
the top just in time to secure a seat in the last wagon for Loch 
Katrine. What those did who came afterwards, I cannot tell. 
It was raining hard, and there was no shelter near but a miser- 
able old shanty for cattle, and every one was to pick his 
own way as he could. There were twelve of us in the wagon 
crowded together, and such a ride as we had for about five 
miles, over what is called the " Macgregor country," over hills 
of every form and size, without a tree in sight, but covered with 
the purple heather in full bloom. There seemed to be many 
varieties of the heather— the bells varying in size and color 
from deep purple to white. I picked a bunch of them for a 
keepsake. 

Still rain, rain,— but our party seemed in no wise depressed 
16 



850 OLD SIGHTS 



Fortress of Inrersnaid— Loch Katrine— Ellen's Isle— The Trosachs. 

by the weather, but talked and laughed as it were all sunshine. 
A melancholy sight were the ruins of the fortress of Inversnaid, 
which we passed in a wild savage-loohing region. This fortress 
was built in iTlo, for a garrison of soldiers stationed here to 
keep the lawless Macgregors in check. A few trees that had 
been set out around it were still standing like mourners over 
the adjoining graye-yards, where nearly all this gamson laid 
their bones. "We passed a beautiful little lake called Loch Ark- 
let, in the lap of the hills, and as we caught a view of Loch 
Katrine the sun broke out for a few minutes, and more than 
one of the party involuntarily recuiTed to the description in Sir 
Walter Scott's " Lady of the Lake : '* 

" And tliTis an airy point lie won, 
"VHiere, gleaming with, ilie setting sun, 
One burnished sheet of living gold, 
Loch Katrine lay beneath hiTn rolled. 
In all her length far winding lay 
"With promontory, creek and bay, 
Aad islands that empurpled bright, 
Floated amid the livelier light. 
And monntains that like giants stand 
To sentinel enchanted land" 

"We went on board a little mite of a steamer — the "i?o6-'7-oy," 
with poor accommodations — the sides of the saloon being en- 
closed with sailcloth, so that we had to choose between the ex- 
clusion of the prospect and the admission of the rain. There 
was a Scotch piper aboard, who went through with a series of 
most excruciating performances upon the bag-pipe, and then 
took up_a collection. Just before landing at the Trosachs, we 
passed Ellen's Isle, a most romantic spot. 

The term Trosachs signifies ^^the rough or bristled territory^ 



WITH NEW EYES. 851 

"Coilantogle Ford." 

and well describes the district to which it is applied. Scott has 
given a striking description of it : 



" the dark ravines helow 



Where twined the path in shadow hid, 
Round many a rocky pyramid, 
Shooting abruptly from the dell 
Its thunder-shattered pinnacle ; 
Round many an insulated mass 

The native bulwarks of the pass. 

******** 

The rocky summits split and rent 
Formed turret, dome, or battlement, 
Or seemed fantastically set 
With cupola or minaret, 

Boon nature scattered free and wild, 

Each plant and flower, the mountain's child. 

******** 

Aloft the ash and warrior oak 

Cast anchor in the rifted rock ; 

And higher yet the pine-tree hung 

His shattered trunk, and frequent flung, 

When seemed the cliffs to meet on high, 

His bows athwart the narrowed sky. 

Two rival coaches were in waiting to take us through the 
Trosachs. I patronized the " Rob-roy " — the red one. Further 
on we passed an Inn of recent construction, built of stone, in the 
style of a castle, with two lofty towers, which make the rooms 
small and inconvenient. We passed Loch Achray, Loch Ven- 
nachar, saw " Coilantogle Ford," in the river Teith, marked by 
two trees, the scene of the contest between King James and 
Roderick Dhu. Passed through Callender,— a dirty-looking 
place, where the men, women, and children came running to the 



852 OLD SIGHTS 



Doune Castle. 



doors to see the coach pass — through Doune, crossed the Teith 
by a fine old bridge, from which we had a view of the ruins of 
Doune Castle on the riarht — throuorh a fertile and well culti- 
vated region, till the immense Rock of Stirling Castle loomed 
up before us, completely hiding the town from our view. Wo 
rode round the Rock, and entered the town just at evening. 



WITH NEW EYES. 353 

" Stirling Races "—The Castle, 



CHAPTER XLIV 



STIRLING AND EDINBURGH. 



It was tlie eve of " Stirling Races," and all the Hotels were 
overflowing with company. I found good entertainment at the 
Royal Hotel, but was lodged out. The next morning dawned 
bright and the streets were all alive with people. The shop- 
windows were decked out in their gayest colors, strolling ped- 
lers were crying their wares, tumblers performing their antics 
in the midst of admiring groups, over-grown boys playing at 
thimble-rig, and travelling ministrels with hand-organs, and 
monkies, and dancing bears, drawing crowds and collecting 
pennies. 

I walked about the streets awhile, amusing myself with the 
various sights, and then made my way to the " Castle," up a 
long irregular street, past the Earl of Mar's magnificent castle, 
which was confiscated and levelled by order of King James, 
around several corners between high stone walls, up successive 
flights of steps, till I came across a guide who showed me the 
Castle. It is now garrisoned by 400 soldiers. 

" Stirling Castle " is of great antiquity. The time of its first 
foundation is unknown. During the wars which were carried 
on for the independence of Scotland, it was frequently taken and 
re-taken by the contending parties. About the time of the 
accession of the house of Stewart, it became a royal residence, 



854 OLD SIGHTS 



James' Palace— Douglas' Room— John Knox's Pulpit. 



and was long the favorite abode of the Scottish monarchs. It 
•was the birth-place of James II. and James V. ; and James VI. 
and his eldest son Prince Henry were baptized in it. In the 
south-east part of the fortress is a building in the form of a 
quadrangle called " James' Palace." It was built by James V., 
but is now converted into barracks. The open court in the 
centre is said to have been the place where the lions were kept, 
and fed through the windows. It has but one high story with 
long grated windows, and a half story above. Every long win- 
dow is surmounted by a stone statue — one very indecent. On 
the south side of the square is the oldest part of the Castle. One 
of the apartments is called " Douglas' Room, " where William 
Earl of Douglas was assassinated by James 11. after he had 
granted him a safe-conduct. This event is thus commemorated 
in the " Lady of the Lake :" 

" Ye towers ! within whose circuit dread 
A Douglas by his sovereign bled." 

On the west side of the square is a long, low building, which 
was originally the Chapel, but is now used as a store room and 
armory. Here are some curious specimens of old armor — a 
huge leathern hat which Oliver Cromwell used to put on over 
all as a defence — a quantity of pikes with stout wooden handles, 
prepared for the militia, the " Sea-fencibles " at the time when 
fears were entertained of Napoleon's invasion — and some old 
pikes and guns taken from the rebels in 1820. In one corner 
is the old pulpit from which John Knox used to thunder forth 
his bold, uncompromising denunciations of iniquity. It has 
been almost aU cut up by the pen-knives of visitors. 

The view from the ramparts is very fine. Near by is the 
mount on which executions commonly took place, called " Exe- 
cution Hill," which Scott thus characterizes : 



WITH NEW EYES. 355 

View from the Ramparts— (xreyfriar Church— Appearance of Edinburgh. 

" Tliou, O sad and fatal mound. 
That oft has heard the death-axe soimd," 

On anotKer part of the declivity is the crag behind which 
Wallace's army was encamped. On the west is the vale of 
Menteith, bounded by the Highland mountains. To the north 
and east, fertile fields, handsome country-seats, the windings of 
the Firth, the Ochill and the Grampian hills. To the east, the 
town, the Abbey Craig, the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey, 
and in a clear day the Castle of Edinburgh and Arthur's Seat 
may be seen. In the south the Campsie hills bound the view. 
At one corner of the ramparts, called "Victoria Station," Queen 
Victoria stood in 1842 and sketched the scene. Another place 
is called " Queen Mary's Look-out." The field of Bannockburn 
was pointed out to me — also the marks made by the cannon- 
balls when the Castle was besieged by Gen. Monk, the tower 
in which Roderick Dhu was confined by King James, and the 
room in which James was instructed by his tutor Buchanan. 

On my way down I visited the old Grej^riar or Franciscan 
church built by James IV. in 1494. Here John Knox preached 
the coronation sermon of James VI. in 1597. The old piulpit 
is still preserved in the vestry-room. Since the Reformation the 
church has been divided into two separate places of worship, 
called the East and West churches. 

At about 6 o'clock in the afternoon I took the train for Edin- 
burgh, and arrived between seven and eight. The appearance 
of the city as we approached it was very imposing. We passed 
a magnificent building on the left in the castellated style, newly 
erected for a Hospital, then the Castle rock rose up on our 
right, we entered a deep ravine at its base, and, passing under 
the " Mound," reached the terminus, from which we emerged 



856 OLD SIGHTS 



Archibold's Hotel— The Castle—" Mons Meg." 



by a flight of stairs into the street above. Passing Scott's Mo- 
nument, I walked up Prince-street, and established myself at 
Archibold's Hotel, 

EDINBURGH. 

Archibold^s Private Hotel, where I staid during my sojourn 
in Edinburgh, was without exception the most comfortable, 
quiet and agreeable house of entertainment, I met with in my 
absence frofn home. I had a snug little front parlor on the 
first floor, looking out on Prince-street, commanding a grand 
view of the Castle directly opposite, where my meals were 
served up by a most attentive waiter, who was invisible save at 
the sound of the bell, and the adjoining room was my bed- 
room. The waiter was the only person I ever raw in the house, 
except on one occasion, when two gentlemen came into the 
parlor to read the newspapers. Where the other boarders were, 
or whether there were any others, was a mystery I could not solve. 
The accommodations were excellent and at a moderate price. 

My first visit was, of course, to the Castle. I walked down 
Prince-street, crossed the " Mound " which connects 'the 'New 
Town with the Old, passed in front of the new Free Church 
College, an imposing edifice, through Ramsay Place, so called 
from the home of Allan Ramsay, the author of " The Gentle 
Shepherd," and by a private path up the hill, came out on the 
Esplanade of the Castle, where a company of soldiers in the 
Highland dress were going through their militaiy exercises 
under the drill sergeant. I passed around the batteries and 
saw the celebrated " Mons J/e^," a gigantic piece of artillery 
which was cast at Mons in Flanders. It burst when firing a 
salute to the Duke of York in 1682, and has never been re- 
paired. 



WITH NEW EYES. 357 

Scottish Regalia— Queen Mary's Prayer— Holyrood Palace. 

The view from the ramparts is very fine — the Grampian and 
Pentellean hills, the buildings of the " Xew Town," Carlton 
Hill with its monuments, Arthurs Seat, Salisbury Crag, the 
" Old Town," spread out before you. The guide took me into 
a small building called " Queen Margaret's Chapel," said to be 
the oldest church in Scotland. 

Leaving the Castle, I walked down High-street, past the Par- 
liament Houses, Tron Church, St. Giles' Cathedral, the Royal 
Exchange, and went to the City Chambers, to obtain an order 
to see the Scottish Regalia in the Tower-room at the Castle. 
Coming out I met my old acquaintance of Basle, together with 
a young friend of his on his way to Dusseldorf to pursue his 
studies in painting. We went in company to the Castle and 
saw the Regalia, consisting of the Crown, the Sceptre, Sword 
of State and the Lord Treasurers Rod of Office. We were 
also admitted to Queen Mary's room, where James VL was 
born, and from the windows of which he was let down in a 
basket by night and conveyed to Stirhng Castle. On the wall 
is the prayer which she is said to have composed on that oc- 
casion. The following is a copy verbatim, though the original 
is in the old Enghsh character : 

" Lord Jesus Chryst that Crownit was with Thornise 

Preserve the Birth quhais Badgic heir is borne. 

And send Hir Sonee Successione to 'Reigne still 

Lang in this Realme, if that it be Thy will. 

Als Grant Lord quhat ever of Hir proseed 

Be to thy Glorie, Honer and Prais sobied. 
"Year 1566 — Birth of King James — month 19 Junii." 
From the Castle we walked down High-street to 

HOLYROOD PALACE. 

The Chapel in the rear of the Palace is a most picturesque 
16* 



858 OLD SIGHTS 



Queen Mary's Apartments. 



ruin. The roof is all gone, and the wall of one end has a large 

window of beautiful proportions through which you see the 
country beyond. In one corner are the remains of David II., 
James II., James V. and Magdalen his Queen, Henry, Lord 
Darnley and others. Lord Darnley was the last person buried 
there, until the re-interment of Queen Mary. It was her dying 
request that she might not he buried there^ because Lord Darn- 
ley was ; and she was therefore buried in a church in the city. 
But when this church was taken down to open the rail-way, 
her remains were dug up and removed to this very vault. On 
one side is the door by which Lord Darnley and his associates, 
after passing through the church, entered the Palace to murder 
Eizzio. 

An old lady in black with a stately air waited on us through 
Queen Mary's apartments, which remain in nearly the same 
state as when she occupied them. There we saw a sofa with 
cushions for Queen Mary and Lord Darnley, on which they had 
many a tete-a-tete — chairs embroidered by Mary — the first 
grate and fender used in Scotland, introduced by King James 
— a coarse clumsy affair. " What a fender for royalty ! " said 
the old lady, hfting up both her hands. The adjoining apart- 
ment was her bed-room. The bed with all its furniture has 
been kept as nearly as possible in the same state as when she 
occupied it. At the foot was a stand with a basket for baby- 
linen. ^Ye were shown a box containing her miniature, covered 
with silk embroidered bv her when twelve vears old linno- in 
Paris, with '' Jacob's dream," and other scriptural scenes. Ad- 
joining is the closet where Darnley surprised Mary and Rizzio, 
who were at tea with the Countess of Argyle and one or two 
others. Rizzio, terrified by the vindictive looks of the conspira- 
tors, clung to the skirts of the Queen for protection, but Darnley 



WITH NEW EYES. 359 

John Knox's House— Carlton Hill— Dr. Candlish's Preaching. 

tore him off, George Douglas gave him the first stab, and he 
was then dragged into the outer apartment and dispatched with 
fifty-six wounds. His body was then dragged into the adjoining 
room, and lay there all night, weltering in its blood. The stains 
are still to be seen on the floor. A partition was afterwards 
built up by order of the Queen, to separate this part from the 
rest of the room. We also went through the Gallery of paint- 
ings, which however contains nothing remarkable. 

Walking up the Canongate, we entered an old churchyard 
where we saw the monument erected to the poet Ferguson by 
Robert Burns, Saw John Knox's house with this inscription : 

0SOS 
Deus 
God 

After dinner we rode out upon Victoria road, got out at 
Arthur's Seat and ascended to the top. The view is magnificent 
— the Castle, the City, Carlton hill, the Firth, Leith, the Ger- 
man Ocean, Porto-bello, &c. Returned by the way of St. An- 
thony's Well and Chapel, and went on Calton hill and saw the 
Monument of Dugald Stewart, Playfair's Observatory, the Na- 
tional Monument, intended to commemorate Waterloo, but left 
unfinished, Nelson's Monument and Burns' Monument, 

The next day was the Sabbath. In the morning I went to 
hear Dr. Candlish. The church is plain, but comfortable, and 
was well filled. The Doctor is a stern-looking man and evi- 
dently very nervous. His prayers consisted almost entirely of 
scriptural expressions. The subject of his discourse was 2 Pet. 
1 : 5^Y. He had no notes and spoke with great freedom. His 
division was as follows : I. The connection of the text with the 
context, n. The connection of the different parts of the text 
with each other. Under the first head he remarked that what 



860 OLD SIGHTS 



Free Tron Church— Dr. Chalmers's Grave. 



'precedes the text appertains to the first coming of Chri&t ; what 
follow&j appertains to his second coming, so that the text is 
placed, just as Christians are, hehueen the two ; and then dwelt 
upon the motives to Christian fidelity and zeal thus supplied by 
the retrospect and the prospect. 

Under the second head he remarked that ^^ faith " was as- 
sumed as an indisj^ensable prerequisite, and of the seven things 
to be added to faith, the first/owr, viz. ^'virtue^'^ — ^'-hnowUdge^^ — 
" temperance ^'^ — ^'' patience ^^ were elements oi power — preparative ; 
while the remaining three , viz., ^^ godliness,''^ ^'- hroiherly-hind- 
ness^'' " charity^^ showed the proper direction of these elements, 
or capabilities. " Virtue" he understood to mean (in the old Eng- 
lish sense) valor — courage — fortitude — to profess and act out 
belief. " Knowledge " is discretion — " the better part of valor,^' 
in a sound Christian sense. " Temperance" is self-command in 
its widest sense. " Patience" is ^er^ez^em^zre. In conclusion he 
urged upon Christians with great earnestness the same diligent 
training, and exercising unto godliness, that ambitious and as- 
piring men practice for ungodly ends. 

In the afternoon I attended the Free Tron Church, where I 

heard Rev. Alexander Abercrombie, from Abbey. The 

sermon was a plain and sensible one from Jer. 6:16. Many of 
the soldiers of the garrison were present in full Highland cos- 
tume, and were very attentive. It seemed strange to see a 
red-coat in the precentor's place to set the tune. 

At evening I Ansited ih^ Grange burying ground to see the 
grave of Dr. Chalmers. The monument is nothing but a plain 
slab set in the wall with the inscription, " Thomas Chalmers, 
D.D. L.L.D. Born 1780, died 1847." Close by is the grave of 
his wife, who died about three years after. 



WITH NEW EYES. 361 

Britannia Bridge— Chester. 



CHAPTER XLY. 

BRITANNIA BRIDGE OVER MENAI STRAITS. 

Before leaving home, I had been much interested in the 
account of "Britannia Bridge'" over Menai Straits, and I re- 
solved, if I ever went to England, that one of my first excursions 
should be to this wonderful achievement of modern engineering. 
Accordingly a party was formed for this purpose a few days 
after my arrival at Liverpool, but circumstances prevented our 
going, and I now found myself in Liverpool again within a few 
days of my depai-ture, without having accomplished the 
object. 

Thinks I to myself, — "This will never do at all! — to go 
home without havinor seen Britannia Bridsfe i" So the next 
morning I rose early, ate a sandwich for my breakfast, and 
hurried down to St. George's Pier-head, crossed the ferry to 
Birkenhead and took the rail to Chester, — where I arrived "at 
half-past nine a.m., walked up to the town, saw the Cathedral, 
a very ancient building of red sand-stone much worn by the 
weather, walked upon the old wall, which crosses the principal 
street by an arch, and returned to the railway station in time 
for the 10.35 train to Bangor. Passed through Holywell^ 
where is the famous St. "Winifred's Well, — Mosfi/n, where we 
had a ghmpse of Lord Mostyn's beautiful seat — Prestatyn, 
where is Lord Eskill's seat, an extensive building in the castle 



862 OLD SIGHTS 



Passage of the Bridge— Menai Straits. 



style — Conway, where is a fine old castle erected by Edward I., 
went througli the Tubular Bridge over Conway river, to Ban- 
gor, where I got a ticket to Llanfair, the first station on the 
opposite side of Britannia Bridge. 

As we approached the Bridge, I could not repress some mis- 
givings. The idea of an extended railway train going through 
an iron tube 15 by 30 feet, 1524 feet long, composed of wrought 
iron plates not over three-fourths of an inch in thickness, and 
in two places unsupported for a distance of 460 feet, and having 
a total weight of over 5000 tons ! I kept looking out for it 
" with fear and trembling," saw farther to the north Telford's 
beautiful Suspension Bridge ; at length we turned a short curve 
and the two colossal lions, which guard the entrance, hove in 
sight, the pass- word was given by the watchman, " All clear !" 
and we entered the dark cavern, experienced a sensation of 
warmth, a strong smell of lamp-oil, and a hollow rumbling 
sound, till we emerged into the light all " safe and sound " on 
the other side. 

From Llanfair I walked back to the Bridge for more particu- 
lar observation. Perhaps my readers may be interested in a 
more particular account of it. 

Menai Straits is a deep and boisterous passage of the sea 
between the main-land of Carnarvonshire in Wales and the 
Island of Anglesey. . The waters of the Irish Sea on the north 
and St. George's Channel are continually vibrating backward 
and forward, and progTcssively rising or falling from twenty-five 
to thirty feet with each successive tide, and with a current of 
more than eight miles an hour. The object of the Bridge was 
to extend the Chester Railway across the Isle of Anglesey to 
Holyhead, and thus shorten the sea-voyage of the gTcat 
thoroughfare between London and Dublin. From Holyhead 



WITH NEW EYES. 863 

Difficult y of Construction— Principle illustrated— Strength of a " Hollow Beam." 

to Dublin is only sixty-four miles, while from Liverpool to 
Dublin is 138 miles. 

It would seem as if the natural difficulties were enough, but 
in addition to these, it was required by the Board of Admiralty, 
that the proposed bridge should be constructed a good hundred 
feet above high-water level, to enable large vessels to sail be- 
neath it ; and moreover, that in its construction, neither scaffold- 
ing nor centering should he used — as they would obstruct the 
navigation of the Straits. 

These difficulties were all surmounted by the ingenuity and 
skill of Mr. Robert Stephenson, Civil Engineer. The principle 
of the bridge may be thus illustrated. 

Take a small straight stick freshly cut from a tree. In its 
natural form the bark around the stick is eqully smooth through- 
out. Now let it be supported at each end while you bear down 
upon it in the middle so as to bend it, and it will represent a 
beam under heavy pressure. The bark will present two op- 
posite appearances. That in the centre of the upper half of the 
stick will be cramped up ; while on the opposite side, imme- 
diately beneath, it will be forced apart, thus showing that 
beneath the rind the wood of the upper part of the stick is 
severely compressed, while that underneath it is as violently 
stretched ; and if the stick is bent till it breaks, the splinters of 
the upper fracture will be seen to interlace or cross each other, 
while those beneath will be divorced by a chasm. 

But it is e\adent that these opposite results of compression 
and extension must, as they approach each other, respectively 
diminish in degree until in the middle of the beam they neu- 
tralize each other. It appears, therefore, that the main strength 
of a beam consists in its power to resist compression and exten- 
sion, and that the middle is comparatively useless. Hence in 



S64: OLD SIGHTS 



Form of the Tubes— The Towers. 



order to obtain the greatest possible amount of strengtb, tlie 
given quantity of roaterial to be used should be accumulated at 
the top and the bottom, where the strain is the greatest, or in 
plain terms, the middle of the beam should be bored out. 

Upon this principle Mr. Stephenson undertook to convey the 
Railway trains across Menai Straits through hollow tubes instead 
of attempting to do it upon solid beams, and as a striking 
exemplification of the truth of his theory, it has been stated 
that while his tubes will bear nearly nine times the amount of 
the longest railway train that could possibly pass through them, 
yet if instead of being hollow they had been a solid iron beam 
of the same dimensions, they would not only have been unable 
to sustain the load required, but would actually have been bent 
by their own weight ! 

After a series of expensive experiments it was determined 
to give the tube a rectangular form, and to construct it of 
wrought iron plates rivetted together. Three ipimense towers 
were built to support the tubes — one based upon a rock in the 
middle of the straits, which at high water is covered to the 
depth of ten feet — and one on each side between this and the 
opposite shore. The centre tower is 62 by 52 feet five inches 
at the base, tapering to 55 by 45.5 inches at tube-level, and 
the total height is 221 feet eight inches. It contains 1,500,000 
cubic feet of stone, and 387 tons of cast iron beams and girders, 
and weighs in all 20,000 tons. The Carnarvon and Anglesey 
Towers are each 184 feet seven inches above high water. 
There are a double set of tubes, so that trains can pass each other 
on the Bridge. The length of the tubes from the main land to 
Carnarvon Tower i's 274 feet; from that to Britannia Tower 
(the central one), 472 feet ; and from that to Anglesey Tower 
472 feet, and from that to the other side 274 feet. The total 



WITH NEW EYES. 365 
Heat a nd Cold— Security of the Bridge. 

weight of the tubes is 11,366 tons! In order to provide for 
the expansion and contraction of the tubes, they are made fast 
in the central tower, but on either side through the shore 
towers, and on the abutments, they travel on cast iron rollers. 
The sun breaking out of the clouds will make a difference of 
an inch or an inch and a half in the length, and the extreme 
variation between summer and winter is nearly twelve inches. 

At the time of my visit only one set of the tubes was com- 
pleted. I walked across upon the top of it and went inside of 
the other one where the men were at work and helped clinch 
the last rivet that was driven that day. No less than two 
millions of bolts have been used ! After, walking upon the 
top of the tube and examining its construction, I felt perfect 
confidence in its security. It seemed as firm as the solid earth. 
Indeed it has been asserted that scientific calculations have 
demonstrated that Britannia Bridge is capable of sustaining a 
greater weight than any embankment in the whole length of 
the Railway, 



SQ6 OLD SIGHTS 



Homeward Bound. 



CHAPTER XLYI. 



THE VOYAGE HOME. 



The long anticipated morning had at length arrived, on which 
I was to sail for home. It seemed hardly credible that I might 
be at home in two weeks or less. The very idea put me in a 
fever of agitation. My hands trembled with excitement as I 
packed my trunk for the last time, and I could eat no breakfast. 
At ten o'clock I rode down to St. George's Pier-head, which 
■was crowded with passengers and luggage. Soon the steamer 
Satellite came alongside and took us off to the Asia, which lay 
in the river. There seemed to be no end to the stream of pas- 
sengers and luggage that came pouring on board, but the 
capacious vessel seemed conscious of its adequacy to accommo- 
date them all. Passengers are expected to pack what articles 
they may want on the passage in as naiTOW compass as possible 
for convenient storage in their staterooms, while the heavy 
luggage is deposited in the hold and not disturbed till the end 
of the voyage. 

I found my stateroom 'No. 51, in the aft-cabin, inside row, 
with my name on a card lying on the bed. My compagnon de 
voyage was a gentlenjan from New Orleans — a Scotchman, I 
believe, whom I found to be a very pleasant and accommodating 
man. 

The next thing to be done was to secure a seat at the table. 



WITH NEW EYES. 367 

Arrangements on Board— Table Companions. 

by putting my card at some plate not already thus occupied. 
Being rather late, I was obliged to take the last seat at the aft 
end of the saloon, facing the captain's seat at the opposite end 
— a very comfortable arm chair, but objectionable as most 
affected by the motion of the vessel in rough weather. 

We were detained about an hour in consequence of one of 
the mail-bags being dropped into the water on its way from 
the tender. At one o'clock we were under full head-way and 
fired two guns as we steered down the Mersey. 

The " order of exercises" in the Dining Saloon is as follows : 
— breakfast at half-past eight, lunch at twelve, dinner at 4 p.m., 
tea at half-past seven, and supper at ten. From what source 
the appetite for all these performances is to come, is to me a 
mystery. Perhaps the eating part is not considered essential 
to the programme. 

We have 175 passengers — of all languages, sizes and ages — 
among whom are one member of Parliament, several army 
oflBcers, a number of sea-captains, eight clergymen, several 
medical men, and a great number of commercial agents. My 
right hand neighbor at the table is a stout Yorkshu-eman, next 
is a good-natured Irishman, who has a store in William street, 
N. Y. ; next sits a Frenchman and his wife, and next a Swiss 
merchant and his young bride. At my left is a long-nosed 
Spaniard, next to him a German, and then a South American. 
Farther than that my acquaintance does not extend. Our 
"table talk" is consequently a jumble of French, German, 
Spanish and English, by means of which we make out to pass 
the compliments of the day, help each other to the various 
dishes within our reach, and indulge in comments on the state 
of the weather and the progress of the voyage. 

It is pleasant when you lie awake, in the night, to hear 



868 OLD SIGHTS 



'All's vreU !"— Sabbath. 



every half-hour the announcements of the look-outs stationed 
in different parts of the ship. First you hear the number of 
bells struck at the stern, followed by the cry, " All's well !" 
Then the number of bells is struck again at the bow, and the 
response made, *' All's well !" The look-out on the starboard 
wheel-house echoes, " All's well !" and his neighbor on the lar- 
board reiterates, '• All's well !" When I could hear dis- 
tinctly all the successive announcements, I settled down into a 
grateful sense of security, and generally turned over and w^ent 
to sleep. But if any one of them was wanting, I began to 
speculate upon the possible cause ; perhaps the man was asleep, 
or had fallen over-board, and we might be a-fire or run a-foul of 
a vessel before we knew it. 

Our first night was as quiet as on shore. I arranged with 
my chum that he should rise first and get out of the way by 
half' past seven, thus giving me sole possession for an hour 
before breakfast. The next morning was the Sabbath. We 
were off Waterford. After breakfast I walked awhile on deck, 
conversing with a zealous young Methodist preacher. Some of 
the passengers applied to the Captain for permission to have 
preaching in the Saloon, as there were several clergymen on 
board. He replied that he was instructed by the Company to 
allow no other service on board but the Church of England. 
His orders were to have that service read, and afterwards if 
there was a clergyman of that Church present, he might preach, 
but no other. Several of the clergymen were higlily indignant 
at this, and declared they would not go near the Saloon 
to hear that service read, if they could not have preaching. 
This exhibition of temper on their part seemed to me very 
unamiable and unchristian, — in poor accordance with the 
liberal sentiments which they professed to hold. I had been 



WITH NEW EYES. 869 

Obserrance of the Day— Shuffle-board— " Shipping a Sea." 

SO long deprived of all external religious privileges while on 
the Continent, that I was glad to enjoy this service, though 
diiferent from that to which 1 was accustomed at home. 

At 10 o'clock the greater part of the passengers assembled 
in the Saloon, where prajer-books had been put at every seat, 
the officers and sailors in their Sunday clothes came in, and 
Capt. Judkin, in a fine clear voice, read the morning service 
and afterwards a sermon. The officers and men were very 
attentive, and joined in the responses with apparent devotion, 
and the whole service was to me more than ordinarily impres- 
sive. During the rest of the day the Saloon was uncommonly 
quiet. Xo card-playing is allowed on the Sabbath, and a good 
degree of decorum is maintained, that no one may be molested 
in a proper observance of the day. 

In the afternoon we passed the Stag Rocks, Cape Clear, saw 
at a distance the Bull, Cow and Calf, — three islands — and by 
night were out of sight of land. 

One of the favorite amusements of the passengers was the 
game of shuffle-hoard or shovel-hoard, as originally spelt. It 
consists in shoving along with your hand on a stick, fashion- 
ed for the purpose, circular blocks of wood, so as to place them 
in certain spaces marked out with chalk upon the deck and 
numbered. It is grand exercise for the arms and chest, and 
indeed for the whole body, especially in rough weather, as you 
are obliged to regulate your movements by the motion of the 
ship. One morning when we were playing, a huge sea came 
over the bulwarks on the opposite side, and drenched some 
ladies and gentlemen who were sunning themselves upon the 
settees, clear over the top of the Saloon and down the stern- 
stairs on one side, deluging the deck and putting an end to our 
game. One little boy was knocked down by it and very much 



870 OLD SIGHTS 



"Port your helm"— Iceberg— Steamer in Sight. 



frightened. There was a great screaming and scattering among 
the ladies. The sea poured down the stairs into the passage- 
way and deluged all the state-rooms, so that the carpets had to 
be taken up, and everything put up out of reach till the water 
was mopped up. Either from this exposure, or from too violent 
exercise on deck, I caught a severe cold, which lasted all the 
voyage. 

We had variable weather — some days very pleasant, others 
wet and disagreeable. One morning early, while lying in my 
berth, I heard the officer on deck give the startling order, 
" Port your helm !" We were not under full head- way on 
account of the thick fog, and the order was occasioned, as I 
afterwards learned, by the appearance of a large barque which 
suddenly loomed up on our starboard quarter, grazing the 
wheel-house with its bowsprit. A short time after I heard one 
of the occupants of the adjoining room ask his companion, who 
was dressing himself, what he was up so early for. " Why," 
said he, " we're going into Halifax." " That can't be," said the 
other. " What makes you think so ?" " Why," said he, " we 
must be going into some port, for I just heard the man on deck 
say, ' Port your helm P " 

One morning while at lunch, the announcement of an ice- 
BERa brought up the whole company, sick ones and all. ' It 
appeared in the distance like a small island of snow rising out 
of the water. As we came nearer we had a fine view of it. It 
looked very much like one of the snow-clad summits of the 
Alps, though not so acute in form. We could see the sea dash 
up its side and then stream down. I tried my new spy-glass 
on it. 

At another time, when we were a week out, a great sensa- 
tion was produced by the announcement of '•« steamer in 



WITH NEW EYES. 871 
_^ Heayy Blow— Halifax. 

sight /" We could just see the smoke at a great distance. I 
sat on the wheel-house a long time watching it, till we could 
see her masts and hull. She seemed to be standing for us, and 
at first we stood for her, but afterwards returned to our former 
course, fired a salute of two guns and ran up signals, but she 
showed nothing in return. 

The next day was the Sabbath, and we had the usual service 
in the Saloon, and a Scotch clergyman read a sermon. "We 
hoped to be in Halifax before night, but the weather became 
very thick, it began to rain and blow, and soon the gale became 
a tempest — wind from the south-east. After making the 
attempt for awhile, we were obliged to give it up and stand out 
to sea ; and when we had made suflBcient offing, the engines 
were stopped and we lay at anchor all night. The rolling of 
the ship was tremendous. One of the guns got loose and went 
pitching from one side of the deck to the other, making a 
terrible racket and smashing everything in its way. A number 
of spars were dislodged from the roof of the fore-cabin and 
added to the noise and confusion. It was impossible to sleep 
or keep in one position. The chief steward had his shoulder 
dislocated by a fall, — one lady got a black eye by a fall, — a fat 
man fell out and was afraid to get into his berth again — many 
sat up all night. 

The storm passed away by morning, and we again stood in 
for Halifax, soon passed the light, steered up the beautiful 
harbor, firing a salute of two guns and came to at the pier at 
10 A.M. We had an hour and a half to walk about the streets, 
and then proceeded on our way. 

The next morning, before I arose, I felt the engine stop, and 
was afraid we were in a fog again, but heard the steward say 
we were taking in a pilot. We were seventy miles from Sandy 



872 OLD SIGHTS WITH NEW EYES. 
New York Bay. 

Hook — land not yet in sight. The weather was beautifully 
clear and mild. It seemed to me I had not seen so fair a sky 
in all my travels. The prospect of the speedy termination of 
our voyage made us all very good natured and sociable at 
breakfast, our last meal on board. Soon we came in -sight of 
land. All hands were on deck — the luggage was hauled out 
of the hold and selected by the passengers — steward, waiter 
and boots received their customary fees. Sandy Hook appear- 
ed — O how diflferent my feelings now from what they were 
when I last saw it ! — we passed the Quarantine, firing a gun, 
which brought the Health officer off in a boat with a yellow 
flag ; we steamed up the beautiful bay in fine style, went past 
the city firing a salute of fourteen guns, and turning around 
came down to our dock in Jersey city just as the America was 
on the point of starting. " What could tempt me," thought I, 
" to take passage in her back again ?" 



THE K ND 



JUVENILE BOOKS 



PUBLISHED BY 



M. W. D O D D, 

506 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 



JUST PUBLISHED : 

Amy Carr, by Caroline Cheesbro. 1 vol. 

i6mo. 3 Illustrations, - - - - $0.85 

" No stilted language, no startling incidents, all is simple and 
true to nature. This little book is written by one who looks 
on life with sad but kindly eyes, and children with a warm, 
yearning heart for their present and future well-being. A pho- 
tograph of " life as it is." You have not to look to the end for 
the moral. Instruction, moral and religious, is woven like a 
golden thread through the whole fabric. A sweet melody, as 
from a better sphere, sings in your heart as you read, and lifts 
it toward celestial harmonies." — RocJiesier Democrat, 

Robert the Cabin Boy. By H. K. P., 

Author of Mary Alden, etc. i6mo, illustrated, 85 

"The interest with which our author has invested the history 
of this homeless orphan child of the sea, and the important 
lessons of instruction conveyed as the reader is induced to fol- 
low him in after years, will be certain to make the book about 
'Eobert the Cabin Boy' a universal favorite." 



Glen ar von ; or. Holidays at the Cottage. A 

beautiful Scotch Story. Illustrated. i8mo, - 65 

" This is a delightful book. Its stories, drawn from Scottish 
life, are interspersed with interesting anecdotes and episodes, 
illustrating historical and scientific truths. It conveys the best 
moral and religious lessons adapted to the youthful mind, and 
told in such a manner as to engage the attention." — Am. and 
For. Oh. Union. 

Henry Willard ; or, the Value of Right Prin- 
ciples, by C. M. Trowbridge. Illustrated, - 65 

"A story of a boy who learned from his pious parents ahoays 
to do right, and v,'ho, though an orphan when quite young, and 
often sorely tempted, maintained his integrity, and eventually 
won many warm friends, and exerted a good influence over 
others." — Frid>yt6rian. 



2 M, W, Dodd's Publications, 

The tittle Savoyard, Wonderful Phials and 
other Stories. Translated from the French by 
Anna. 18 mo, - - - - - So. 65 

If any one can read the story of the Little Savoyard and not 
have the sensibilities deeply moved, and the kindliest feelings 
of the heart brought into exercise, we are greatly mistaken. 
This and the other'stories embraced in the volume make it on© 
of great interest to the reader. 

Heroes of Puritan Times, by Joel Stough- 

ton. With an Introduction Letter by Joel Hawes, 

D. D., ._.---- 65 

" This is a book of decided interest. The times to which it 
relates, the characters it describes, the stirring events which it 
sketches, and the noble sentiments which it illustrates, lend it 
a peculiar charm." 

Honey Blossoms for Little Bees, a 

beautiful Juvenile. Illustrated, - - - 65 

" A beautiful book with a siceet title, and what's more a pretty 
story, in large type and short words, with beautiful pictures to 
help the little reader to understand." 

The Deaf Shoemaker, and other Stories. 

By Philip Barrett. Illustrated. l8mo, - "55 

"The author of this charming little book understands what 
vill interest children, and how'to adapt his style and language 
to their taste and wants. We cordially recommend it to a 
place in every Sabbath-School and family library." — Advocate 
and Guardian. 

Fred. Lawrence, or. The World College. By 

Margaret E. Teller. Illustrated, i8mo, - 55 

" This interesting story shows how a yoath may make a man 
of himself in spite'of many disadvantages, and the embarrass- 
ments of poverty. He is cut short in his course of study by 
the necessity of "providing a livelihood for his widowed mother 
and sister; yet contrives to make himself a scholar, and push 
his way to wealth and an honorable position." — Church Timet. 

Winter in Spitzbergen ; a book for Youth, 

from the German of C. Hildebrandt, by E. 
Goodrich Smith. Illustrated, - - - 65 

"A book of surpassing interest for young people. Those who 
have been charmed with^Robinson Crusoe will be delighted with 
this. It gives an account of the manner in which three looely 
castaways spent a winter in the dark, frozen, and desolate polar 
regions of Spitzbergen, and how th«y were at length providen- 
tially delivered. A capital book to be read aloud around a 
wtater fireside."— jB»p^w< M«moHal. 



M. TF, Dodd's Publications, 3 

The Old Chest and its Treasures, by- 
Aunt Elizabeth. A most attractive volume of 
several hundred anecdotes and stories. izmo, $0.90 

"A collection of more than two hundred striking incidents 
and anecdotes, illustrative of moral and religious truths. It is 
an excellent book for the family, and especially the young." — 
Chrisiian Observer. 

Sunday Sketches for Children, by a 

Father. Illustrated. i8mo, - - - - 65 

"Those are admirable sketches, naturally and strikingly 
drawn, and will be read by the children with pleasure and 
profit." — Vhrisiian Chronicle. 

Shadows and Sunshine, as illustrated in the 

History of Notable Characters, by Rev. Erskinc 

Neal. i8mo, - 65 

" A book in which various characters are made to teach, and 
from whose chequered experience much which is valuable may 
be derived. We can heartily recommend it." — EeUgiovs Her. 

Stories for Young Americans. By 

Prof. Joseph Alden. 

The Example of Washington. With Portrait, - 40 

The Old Stone House. A Story of 1776, - 40 

Fruits of the May-Flower, - - - - 40 

Stories and Anecdotes of the Puritans, - - 40 

"Prof. Alden's juvenile books are in many respects patterns 
of publications for the young. They have a purity, simplicity, 
and gravity of style, that must do much towards forming mental 
and moral characteristics of the best model." — Heliffioua Bee. 

By Charlotte Elizabeth. 

Personal Recollections and Memoir, - -65 

Posthumous Poems, - - - - - 65 

Judah's Lion, - - - - - "65 

Judaea Capta, •;• - - - - -65 

The Deserter, - - - - - -65 

The Flower-Garden, - - - - - 65 

Count Raymond of Toulouse, - - - 65 

Conformity, ------ 40 

Falsehood and Truth, ----- 40 



4 M. W. Dodd's Publications, 

Sovereigns of the Bible, by Eliza R. Steele, 
author of "Heroines of Sacred History," etc. 
With illuminated title and fine illus. i2m-o, $1.50 

" We have here the scattered facts in the lives of the kin^s of 
Israel and Jr.dah skillfully arranged in continuous narratives, 
Tvhich are highly instructive. The book is an important contri- 
bution to our general biblical literature." — Albany Argus. 

The Russell Family, by Anna Hastings. 

illustrated. i8mo, - - - _ - 55 

"A very beautiful and instrnctive storv from real life, illus- 
trating the power of a Christian mother, and the sweet influencea 
of the domestic circle."— _Vew) York Ohaerzer. 

Minnie Carlton, by Mary Belle Bartlett. A 

beautiful Story for Girls. Illustrated. i8mo, - 65 

"'The subject of this narrative is the eldest daughter of a 
hansehold forced by the death of her mother to take" charge of 
It. fhe pledge giren to her dying mother to train the little ones 
to meet her in heaven is couscieniiouslr fnlrilied. and the les- 
sons 01 her example, prudence and pietv. rewarded bv the most - 
cheenng results, bringing light and jov to the household, -nill 
scarcely be read without deep and grateful emotion."— ^/.-au^. 

Uncle Barnaby ; or. Recollections of his 

Character and Opinions. 65 

"The religion of the book is good — the morality excellent, 
and the mode of exhibiting their important lessons cnn hardly 
be surpassed in anvthins calculated to make them attractive 
to the young, or successful in correcting anything bad in their 
habits or morals." 

The Finland Family; or. Fancies taken for 
Facts. A Tale of the Past for the Present. By 
Mrs. Susan Peyton Cornwall, - - - - ^5 

"The Finland Family belongs to the very best class of re- 
ligious tales. It is full" of the' gentlest and sweetest sympa- 
thies, and at the same time commends the culture of the firmest 
and most steadfast principles." — Ch. Intelligencer. 

Frank Forrest ; or the Life of an Orphan Boy. 
By David M. Stone. Illustrated. i8mo, - 45 

' '"It inculcates the most impressive lessons of virtue and re- 
ligion, and the intense interest of the story will rivet the 
attention of the children : thus securing a happy influence on 
their hearts." — Journal of Commerce. 

Poetic Readings for Schools and 

Families, with an Introduction by J. L. Comstock, • 
M. D. Illustrated, - - - - - ^S 

" We cordially recommend to all yonng readers this charming 
collection. It "is executed with soundness of judgment, deli- 
cacy of taste, and great range of research; no school ought to 
be without it" — Some Journal. 



Any Booh on this Catalogue will be sent free of postage 
on recap i of price. 

BOOKS PUBLISHED BT 
M. W. DODD, 

506 Broadway, New York. 



A PASTOR'S SKETCHES; or, Con- 

versations with Anxious Inquirers, respecting the Way 
of Salvation. By I. S, Spencer, D. D., late Pastor 
Second Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, N. Y. 2 vols,, 
l2mo, cloth, ^2 75. 

It is believed no strictly religious work of the present century has had 
BO -wide a circulation, or excited' a deeper interest than this. 

"• This is a book of remarkable interest. It is one of pastoral experience ; 
and the thrilling interest it gathers about many of the scenes and incidents 
which it describes, iustities the comparsion which has been made of it in 
this respect to the well-known ' Diary of a Physician.' '' — Independent. 

" Nothing like it exists." — American Bible Mepository. 

" This isli remarkable book."' — ^ Y. Recorder. 

"To those who are fond of Ze?ic?ir2^ good books, we would vehemently 
commend this as one that will be very sure to be read." — Puritan Hecarder. 

•'The book is in the diamatic form, and so vividly drawn that the reader 
becomes not merely a spectator, or a listener, but an actor in all that is de- 
scribed. Few wilTbe able to leave it until they have read its last page." 
— Literary Messenger. 

The Young Irishman. The First Sketch in 

vol 1., by itself, 80.20. 

BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 

Sermons, with a Sketch of his Life, By Rev. J. M. 
Sherwood. With Portrait, 2 vols., 83 00. 

'• We can assure those who have read Dr. Spencer's Sketches, no matter 
with how much delight, that they will be in no danger of disappointment 
from reading these sermons. — Puritan Recorder. 

They are rich in thought, clear, discriminating, and sound in doctrine, 
and, withal, remarkable for simplicity of style and directness of address." — 
Daily Courant, Hartford. 

Discourses on Sacramental Occa- 
sions. A new work. 1 vol., large i2mo, ^i 50. 

" It will be welcome, not more from the class of subjects treated, than 
from the fervor of thought and language of the imthor, and his keen insight 
into spiritual truth and "into facts of human nature." — Am. Pre>ibyterian. 

''We cordially recommend this volume as containing fervent and spirit- 
ual views of the communion." — Prts. Quar. Review. 



M, W. Dodd's Publications. 

PULPIT ELOQUENCE (History and Repo- 
sitory of); Deceased Divines; containing the Master- 
pieces of Bossuet, Bourdalone, Massillon, Flechier, 
Isaac Barrow, Jeremy Taylor, Chalmers, Robert Hall, 
M'Laurin, Christmas Evans, Edwards, John M. Ma- 
son, etc. With DISCOURSES from the Fathers and 
the Reformers, and the marked men of all countries and 
times, from the Apostles to the present century ; with 
Historical Sketches of Preaching in each of the coun- 
tries represented, and Biographical and Critical Notices 
of the several Preachers and their Discourses, by Henry 
C. Fish, D. D. Two volumes, 8vo, $7 00. 

It is beliered to contain a very complete JUstory of preaohing, and of the 
great pulpit orators ; and to embody an amount of Christian eloquence, 
^and a great variety of topics, such as was never before presented in anything 
like the same compass. More than eighty differe^it preachers are here 
represented; each by a brief sketch, and by his most celebrated dis- 
course. Under the Greek and Latin pulpit, their are eight discourses; 
under the English, twenty-two ; under the German, ten ; imder the French, 
eleven ; under tke Scottish, nine ; under the American, sixteen ; under the 
Irish, four ; under the Welsh, three. It will be seen that more than tMrty 
are from foreign languages. The translationa are uniformly from high 
sources. 

" The purpose of this massive work will commend itself to clergymen and 
to all admirers of the highest style of eloquence. It aims to present the 
characteristics of pulpit oratory, in all ages of the Christian Church, by 
furnishing specimens from the most celebrated and influential men of each 
period. The idea has been carried out with wonderful completeness. Such 
a body of homiletic literature, embracing so great a variety, and so instruc- 
tive indications, has never been brought together before 

The intecest and value of such a collection can hardly be over-estimated." — 
Evangelist. 

" "We have felt, in glancing through these splendid and massive volumes, 
as though walking in a gallery of statuary, along the reaches of which stood, 
each on'his pedestal, the mighty pulpit orators of other centuries and gen- 
erations. And as we paused before each, to read the name inscribed, and 
to study the form and features, the statue warmed suddenly into life, called 
back the long- silent voice, and, with lifted hand and glowing lip, repeated 
the strong arguments that wrestled so overmasteringly with the minds of 
their day, and now held us wrapt listeners." — Congregatio7ialist. 

"Even a layman vrould be justified in recommending it unhesitatingly 
and without reserve, as au invaluable treasure to every man of taste, and as 
of especial and indispensable importance to ministers of the gospel and to 
the Christian public." — Evening Traveller. 

" The historical information communicated in these volumes will, of itself^ 
more than repay the expense of their purchase." — Bibliotheca Sacra. 

^ "We regard these volumes as scarcely less valuable to the Intelligent lay- 
man than to the aspiring clergyman. They are filled with the meat eloquent 
and powerful appeals which human minds have addressed to their fellow 
creatures in the interests of religion, and constitute an enduring record of 
the highest order of eloquence." — Com. Advertit^. 



M. W. Dodd's Publications. 
PULPIT ELOQUENCE of the Nine- 

teenth Century. Being supplementary to the History 
and Repository of Pulpit Eloquence (deceased divines) ; 
and containing Discourses of Eminent Living Ministers 
in Europe and America. Accompanied with Sketches 
Biographical and Descriptive. By Henry C. Fish, 
D. D. With an Introductory Essay by Prof Edwards 
A. Park, D. D. One large volume, 8vo. Illustrated 
with seven large Portraits from steel, ^4 00. 

Nearly sixty of the most distinguished Preachers of the present day ar© 
here introduced, about forty of whom belong to foreign countries. The Dis- 
courses have been almost uniformly prepared expressly for this work, or 
selected and designated by their authors themselves. They are, therefore, 
no ordinary productions ; but Avdll be esteemed Avorthy, it is believed, of 
being placed with the " Master-Pieces of Pulpit Eloquence " of other ages. 
The materials of the Biographical Sketches have in all cases been derived 
from responsible sources. 

As indicative of the character of the work, it may be stated, that, under 
the German Pulpit, such men as Professors Tholuck, Julius Muller, Nitzsch, 
Drs. Krummacher and Hoffman, Court Preachers to the King of Prassia, 
will be found; under the French Pulpit, Drs. J. H. Merle D'Aubigne, 
Gaussan, Malan, Grandpierre, and the celebrated Adolphe Monod (deceased 
since the preparation of the work was commenced); under the English, 
Melville, and Noel, and Bunting, and James and the like ; and under tho 
Scottish, Drs. Hamilton, Commings, Buchanan, Guthrie, Duff, Candlish and 
others. 

The American Pulpit is represented by eminent men in each Evangelical 
denomination, selected with great care, and after wide consultation. Most 
of the Discourses in this department appear in print now for the first time. 

"Our readers will remember the noble volumes of which this is a supple- 
ment, and how cordially we commended them to their delighted study. The 
present volume is worthy to go with them as a memento of the living, who 
teach and preach Jesus in many nations. 

"Those who own the former volumes will hasten to add this to their 
treasure, and those who have failed hitherto to procure them will find them 
selves doubly tempted now." — Congregationaliat. 

" The biographical sketches are compiled with care, and, along with an 
outline of the history of each individual named, contain brief critical discus- 
sions of their merits as preachers and as divines. These criticisms are, so 
far as we can determine, just and discriminating. Altogether, this volume, 
like its predecessors, is a highly valuable and acceptable contribution to our 
religious literature, and wilfbean acquisition to the library of any reading 
man, whether he be a minister or layman. — Christian Times. 

"Whether it be considered in reference to the felicity of its selections, 
the fidelity of its sketches, the amplitude of its range, or the e<neral im- 
partiality and good taste that mark its execution, it is worthy of all praise, 
and the author has fairly entitled himself to the gratitude not nicely of his 
ovrn generatton, but of posterity." — Puritan Hecorder. 



M. W. Dodd's Publications. 
CRUDEN'S COMPLETE CON- 

CORDANCE to the Holy Scriptures ; or, A Dictionary 
and Alphabetical Index to the Bible. Bv Alexander 
Cruden, M. A. 



By which, I. — Any verse in the 
Bible may be readily found by 
looking for any material word in 
th# verse. To which is added — 

II, — The significations of the 
principal words, by which their 
true meaning in Scriptures are 
shown. 

III. — An account of Jewish 



customs and ceremonies illus- 
trative of many portions of the 
Sacred Record. 

rV. — A Concordance to the 
Proper Names of the Bible, and 
their meaning in the original. 

v. — A Concordance to the 
Books called Apocrypha. 

One vol. 4to. Price. S4. 



To which is appended an original life of the Author, illustrated 
with an accurate Portrait from a Steel Engraving. 

The only genuine and entii^e edition of the complete work of Cruden — 
the only one embracing those features of it which Cruden himself and the 
Public, for more than a hundred years, have regarded as essential to its com- 
pleteness and inestimable value, is the edition published by the subscriber. 

It is believed to be the most accurate Edition, now in existence, of the 
original work, as it came from the hands of the author ; and is the only Am- 
erican edition having any fair claim to his name. In its complete form it 
has ever been regarded as immeasurably superior to any other work of the 
kind, 

" Cmden''s Concordance, in its unabridged and complete state, is invaluable 
to the biblical student, and the abridgements which have been made of it fur- 
nish no idea of the thoroushness and fullness of the original and complete 
work."— i?er. Th.omm Be Witt. D. D. 

'•Crnden"s Concordance has been the companion of my whole life, both as 
a theological student and a minister; and it is the "last book, with the 
exception of the Bible itself, that I would consent to have pass out of my 
hands." — Ret. Wm. B. Sprague. D. D. 

^In its complete furm. as published by Mr. Dodd, I would earnestly com- 
mend it-QS the book that should find a place in every family by the side of 
the Bible. I am acquainted with no work that can be a substitute for it.'" — 
Ret. J. B. Condit. D.D.. of Auhurn T7ieological Seminary."'— Auburn. X.Y. 

'•In reply to yours. I can only say. that if I possessed but two books in 
the world, "they should be God's Bible and Cruden's Concordance." — Eev. 
Gardiner Spring, LL. D. 

'•I have made use of Cruden's Concordance for many years, and have al- 
ways regarded it as a monument of industry, and an indispensable assistance, 
in "its complete form, to the study of the Word of God.'" — Rev. Professor 
GoodricKB.D., of Yale College. Xeic Haven. 

~Xo English Concordance can take its place. It is equally precious to 
the Minister of the Word and the earnest reader of the Scriptures, of any 
sort or condition of men." — Rt. Rev. Bishop Mcllvaine. D. D. 

•• The value of Cruden's Concordance, unabridged and entire. I consider 
as incomparable and indispensable.'' — Rer. Samuel H. Cox. D. D. 

'^'So book has aided me more in the study of God's Word — enabling me 
to compare Scripture with Scripture, and interpret Scripture by Scripture. 
I believe its usefulness both to laymen and ministers can hardly be over- 
rate(S."' — Ret. Bishop Janes, D. D. 

" Cruden's Concordance, in its original state. I consider above all price to 
the student of the Scriptures."'— J?ei;. FranciaWaylund, LL.I>^ President 
of Brown ViiiversUy. 



.8-! 19 9 7, 



,0o 



? 




, - -.n .V. 




'\ 


'•^?^ 







.Oo 



■^ %^ 



"^.■^^ 







%. ,.vx* 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: ^^^ 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

111 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
f724i 779-2111 






^"H^ ■>-. .^^ 



^0- 



n: ^^ "^ 






5 // 



i-v^^ 






^ <=>^"' 
.^^^"-. 









0^ 



'^^^ ^^.A'^- \^->^^.... , ^^ ^ 



x>. .^?^ 









'/ "> 



oT- -\ 



I V. 









^-^CVs^- V- 







a5 •7^ ^ fe-' 



'^ S^ ^ * /■ ^ V S ^ ' * ^ 



t"^ r 









.7/^ 



' ..X-* 



'^ <A, 



-x^^"'-^ 



■<J ,y.H \N" ^ .V '-^V 









3o. 



oS -7; 



%. ' ^ 






>0o^ 



^' ^0- 



<^" 









?0^ 



V' 






y^ 



,A^^"^< 






aV^ 






LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 






007 228 420 







'"i Pllj 



